CHAPTER 75 RELIGION AND THE CHAPLAINCY SERVICE (MOD Sponsor: Chaplain of the Fleet) This chapter has been diversity and inclusion impact assessed by the sponsor in accordance with Departmental policy. No direct discrimination or adverse impact was identified. This chapter is due for review at the next routine amendment exercise. CONTENTS Para 7501. General 7502. Naval Chaplaincy Service Charter 7503. World Faith Chaplains to the Military 7504. Observance of Holy Days 7505. The Conduct of Public Worship 7506. The Conduct of Public Worship: Interdenominational 7507. The Conduct of Public Worship: Special Occasions 7508. Attendance at Public Worship 7509. Public Worship During Training 7510. Spare 7511. The Provision of Churches and World Faith Prayer Rooms 75-1
CHAPTER 75 RELIGION AND THE CHAPLAINCY SERVICE 7501. General 1. The observance of religion in the Armed Forces is of the highest importance. It is the duty of all concerned to make adequate provision for the spiritual and moral needs of all personnel. 2. Commanding Officers are to encourage religious observance by those under their command and are themselves to set a good example in this respect. 3. Sympathetic consideration is to be given to the needs of officially recognized religious minorities who do not profess the Christian faith. No one is to be compelled to attend Public Worship against their wishes, except as provided in Para 7508 and Para 7509. However, all personnel, particularly those under the age of 17½ should be encouraged to attend Public Worship of their own denomination. 4. On entry into the Services all members of the Armed Forces are to be asked to declare, with complete freedom, their religious denomination. If they so wish, they may declare themselves to be atheist or agnostic, or of no denomination. A record of denomination will then be made in JPA. 7502. Naval Chaplaincy Service Charter 1. The Naval Chaplaincy Service (NCS) exists to meet the spiritual and pastoral needs of the men and women of the Naval Service 1 ; improving the resilience of the Service community, and equipping our people to meet the particular challenges of Service life. 2. Taking account of the individual traditions, histories and doctrines of each Sending Church, the founding principle of the NCS is that Naval Chaplains should do together everything which conscience does not compel us to do separately 2. Naval Chaplains value and respect the traditions and faiths of their fellow chaplains and acknowledge the religious needs of Naval Service personnel of all faiths and of none. 3. While acknowledging the particular role of the Christian Faith in the heritage of the Naval Service and of the United Kingdom, the NCS rightly acknowledges the contributions made by the other World Faiths. Recognising the right of all members of the Naval Service to worship according to their own faith practices, where operationally practicable, chaplains are committed to facilitating the religious needs of all. 4. Chaplains represent and serve their own Sending Churches, but need knows no boundary. All chaplains, in addition to the spiritual care they offer to members of their own tradition, provide an 'all souls ministry' to all Naval personnel and their dependants as 'friend and adviser of all on board'. 1. Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and the Maritime Reserve. 2. Lund Principal of Ecumenism 1952 as adapted by the Lambeth Conference 1968 (Resolution 44) and Swanwick Declaration. 75-2
5. Chaplains are commissioned by Her Majesty the Queen. They are to obey the lawful orders of their Superior Officers. All chaplains come under the functional authority of the Chaplain of the Fleet (COTF) for their professional duties, and under the appropriate Principal Denominational Chaplain (PDC) for ecclesiastical authority and discipline. 6. COTF will be selected through the Royal Navy s formal Promotion Board process without regard to his or her denomination. The criteria for this selection will be published by the Royal Navy. The Representatives of the Sending Churches will be consulted before the Promotion Board convenes to ascertain that the candidates enjoy their confidence. The COTF will exercise his or her functional authority primarily through their Policy Board (COTFPB). The Policy Board will aim to govern by consensus while acknowledging the executive responsibility invested in the COTF. 7. The COTFPB will consist of: COTF, their Deputy, nominated Regional Chaplains who represent the North, East and West, Corps Chaplain, Chaplain Maritime Reserve, the Principal Denominational Chaplains (PDCs) and COTF s CM/EA. 8. The PDCs will undertake representational duties at both local and national level; having right of access to senior Officers including Chief of Naval Personnel & Training, Second Sea Lord for denominational issues; being resourced in both time (through assignment action) and finance (through the COTF s budget) to carry out their roles effectively. The PDCs will play their full part in the recruitment, selection, career transfer and reporting of chaplains. Commanding Officers who are assigned PDCs will be advised in writing by the COTF of the added responsibilities and requirements associated with service as a PDC. 9. The PDCs will be selected by the appropriate Sending Church authority in close consultation with the COTF. The appointment of a PDC will be published in the London Gazette through the Naval Secretary s office. 7503. World Faith Chaplains to the Military 1. Specific chaplaincy provision for adherents of the Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh failths is made by five World Faith Chaplains to the Military, based in locations around the UK. They provide a focus for personnel of their faith group and have a remit to provide chaplaincy support at unit level. Their contact details are available from: NCS Co-ord Mail Point 1.2 Naval Command HQ Whale Island PORTSMOUTH PO2 8BY 02392 625508 75-3
7504. Observance of Holy Days 1. Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day are, as far as possible, to be observed as days of rest when duties are reduced to a minimum. Corporate duties and organised sports events are not to be arranged, save exceptionally, at times which would interfere with normal Acts of Worship. At sea and on land operations every effort is to be made to give time for Public Worship. 7505. The Conduct of Public Worship 1. In ships and establishments where chaplains are borne, Public Worship is to be conducted on Sundays, Good Friday, Christmas Day and other holy days as circumstances allow, according to the liturgies of the appropriate denomination. 2. When no chaplain is on board, Commanding Officers, or Church Officers are to make the best arrangements practicable to give effect to these instructions. Resources are available from COTF s office. 3. At sea/on operations the main act of public worship should be non-denominational and accessible to all personnel. When a chaplain is embarked, he/she should make denominationally specific/sacramental provision separate from the main worship service, and preferably in a different location. 7506. The Conduct of Public Worship: Interdenominational 1. Joint Services of an interdenominational nature to mark specific events of national or local significance, and in the interests of ecumenical endeavour, may be arranged after consultation involving the Commanding Officer and the chaplains concerned. The chaplains are to ensure that their respective ecclesiastical authorities are in agreement with the form and place of the service. 7507. The Conduct of Public Worship: Special Occasions 1. A Commander-in-Chief or Flag Officer may order a parade which includes a religious service, on special occasions of national or local importance. In special circumstances authority to order such a parade may be delegated to a local Commanding Officer. Any Act of Worship on such occasions will be planned and conducted interdenominationally in accordance with Para 7510. 7508. Attendance at Public Worship 1. Although in principle, no one is compelled to attend public worship against their wishes (see Para 7501 sub para 3), occasionally parades and services may be arranged to mark events of a local or national significance (eg Remembrance Sunday, Commissioning and Decommissioning) which all personnel would be expected to attend. 2. Other events such as Divisions, which are primarily military events, designed to instil discipline and to promote naval ethos and tradition, may also have a short religious element. 75-4
3. Whilst in the past, those of other faiths and none were permitted to fall out for the duration of prayers within divisions, the current practice is for a Naval chaplain to deliver a short thought for the day address on a broadly religious or moral topic, for which all personnel are expected to remain on parade. The chaplain s input will, on occasion, be led by one of the World Faith Chaplains to the Military, representing the other major faiths. 4. In cases where guidance on an individual s attendance at such events is sought, Commanding Officers should weigh the statement that reverent observation of religion in the Armed Forces is of the highest importance (see Para 7501 sub para 1) against the premise that no individual is compelled to agree or affirm that which is being said by the person leading prayers. It is therefore suggested that all attendees at such parades should remain at their place of duty for this short religious component. If individuals object strongly to attending the religious component of divisions on moral/faith grounds, they should make a representation to the Command in sufficient time for their case to be reviewed before the event. 7509. Public Worship During Training 1. During certain phases of naval training, as part of developing an individual s moral component and to encourage broadening (eg during Phase 1 training and preparing personnel for hardship and combat), attendance at public worship may be highly desirable. In such circumstances, provision should always be made for adherents of the other major world faiths. Individuals who object to taking part in such events retain their right to represent their objections, which should be reviewed by the Command. 7510. Spare 7511. The Provision of Churches and World Faith Prayer Rooms 1. Commanding Officers are responsible for initiating administrative action through their Property Manager/ Site Estate Representative for the provision of churches and church rooms permitted under the appropriate scale (JSP315). When a church or church room is not available, Commanding Officers are to ensure that adequate and worthy accommodation is made available for the conduct of worship.including other world faiths. 75-5