Conservative politicians are demanding the immediate reversal of a military directive they claim unfairly restricts religious expression during public commemorations, including Remembrance Day ceremonies across Canada.
Political Outcry Over Military Directive
New Brunswick Conservative MP Mike Dawson expressed strong condemnation of the Chaplain General's 2023 Direction on Chaplain's Spiritual Reflection in Public Settings, calling its continued implementation an affront to fallen soldiers. During a House of Commons address, Dawson voiced his shame about the government's position, stating that restricting faith expressions within the military represents cowardice.
"It is cowardice to ask our sons and daughters to put themselves in harm's way but refuse them the right to express their faith in God. To deny those who provide our freedom the right to openly pray is an insult to those who never came home," Dawson told Parliament.
Directive Details and Restrictions
The controversial directive, issued by then chaplain general J.L.G. "Guy" Bélisle in October 2023, imposes significant restrictions on military chaplains during public ceremonies. The order mandates that chaplains must "carefully choose words that are inclusive" to all attendees, including atheists, effectively prohibiting traditional prayers.
Additional restrictions include prohibiting chaplains from wearing religious scarves displaying symbols like crosses and crescent moons during military ceremonies. Instead, all chaplains must wear identical scarves featuring the religiously neutral Royal Canadian Chaplain Service crest.
Legal Basis and Expert Criticism
Bélisle defended the changes as necessary following the Supreme Court of Canada's 2015 Saguenay decision, which established that the state must maintain religious neutrality in public settings. The former chaplain general demonstrated this approach during his own Remembrance Day address at Ottawa's National War Memorial last year, deliberately framing his remarks as a "reflection" rather than a prayer.
Reverend Doctor Andrew Bennett, head of faith community engagement at faith-based think tank Cardus, criticized the directive for misunderstanding religious neutrality. Bennett argued that the policy improperly prioritizes irreligion over religious expression.
"To say that Canadian Armed Forces chaplains cannot speak about God or cannot pray at public ceremonies of remembrance is showing a lack of understanding of who is in the armed forces," Bennett stated, emphasizing that military members don't abandon their faith when they enlist.
Conservative defence critic James Bezan supported these concerns in communications with the National Post, echoing the sentiment that the directive disrespects Canada's military traditions and the religious diversity within the armed forces.
