Chaplains Barred from Saying “God”

Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instructions 03/26 – Spiritual reflections in military settings

1. Identification

Date of issue: 2026-07-29

Application: This instruction applies to all Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members. CAF members will take steps to ensure that this instruction is respected by Department of National Defense (DND) employees engaged by the CAF to provide spiritual or religious services to CAF members. This includes any other person operating in support of the CAF, such as volunteers, students, casual workers and contractors.

Supersession:

• Chaplain General Direction on Chaplain’s Spiritual Reflection in Public Settings, 11 Oct 2023

Approval authority: Commander of Military Personnel Command (Comd MPC)

Enquiries: Office of the Chaplain General, Directorate of Chaplain Services 2-3 (DChap Svcs – Policy)

2. Definitions

Spiritual reflections 

In military settings, spiritual reflections are inclusive public addresses to a group of individuals that nurture resilience by fostering meaning, purpose, and spiritual well-being, especially within a culture of care and service.

Note 1 – Spiritual reflections do not use religious specific language, including references to God, etc. They reflect upon lessons learned, beliefs, values, and experiences to inspire gratitude, remembrance, hope, and integrity. These principles are grounded in a respect for freedom of conscience and religious expression, while upholding the dignity and value of diverse spiritual traditions.

Note 2 – It is recognized that one can be spiritual or engage in spiritual reflection without being religious.

Inclusive 

That encourages or accommodates participation from all sections of society without excluding any person on the grounds of race, gender, religion, age, disability, etc. (DTB #26700)

3. Policy direction

Context

3.1 The spiritual and moral health and well-being of CAF members are essential to sustaining operational effectiveness and fostering the overall resilience of the defense community. While the provision for religious, spiritual and moral well-being of CAF members and their families is first and foremost the responsibility of commanders (see QR&O article 33.06), chaplains play an essential role as specialist advisors on spiritual and religious matters. 

3.2 The CAF recognizes the growing religious and spiritual diversity of its members, including those who do not have a specific religious belief or affiliation. The Chaplain General and chaplains are committed to care for all whether or not they have a spiritual or faith tradition (SFT).

3.3 Under subsection 2(a) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (“Charter”), CAF members have freedom of religion. This includes the freedom to have no religious belief whatsoever. In addition, the CAF has a duty of religious neutrality. It cannot favor certain beliefs to the exclusion of others. The CAF must uphold and respect the Charter rights of our members and members of the public by maintaining religious and spiritual neutrality in the exercise of our public duties.

Policy statement

3.4 The purpose of this instruction is to provide direction to commanders and all members of the CAF regarding their moral, ethical and legal obligation to respect freedom of religion and religious neutrality in the execution of their public duties if called upon to deliver a spiritual reflection in the military setting, respecting the cultural and spiritual diversity of CAF members. 

3.5 This policy is intended to define the boundaries of appropriate language, actions, and symbols during military ceremonies and gatherings where a CAF member is called upon to act in a public manner as a representative of the CAF (Government of Canada) rather than a representative of their expressed SFT. This policy does not limit the assembled CAF members’ personal beliefs or ability to interpret and internalize the spiritual reflection in accordance with their own SFT. Spiritual reflections provide an opportunity to pause and reflect on the subject event; this may include, but is not limited to, themes of remembrance, hope, or transition, as well as time for members to engage in private prayer or personal contemplation in keeping with their individual understanding of God or transcendence. Spiritual reflections are intended to give freedom and space for members of all belief systems and philosophies to mark the occasion in a manner that resonates with them, such as a silent reflection, personal prayer, or respectful pause for others to do the same.

4. Operating principles

General

Military ceremonies

4.1 CAF members providing public remarks or an address of any type at a public or semi-public event in their capacity as a CAF member shall uphold the principle of state religious and spiritual neutrality by not using words, actions, or symbols that are specific to a particular SFT on the part of the Government of Canada. This does not include personal religious items of dress, which may be worn as authorized by the CAF Dress Instructions.

4.2 For all events connected to official government business, such as a military ceremony or commemorative event, where CAF members are expected or mandated to attend, and prayers or religious observances have been requested, chaplains (or those noted in the Application section above) must instead offer a spiritual reflection.

4.3 This policy applies to events or military parades, such as, but not limited to:

1. graduation parades
2. change of command ceremonies
3. ship commissioning
4. ribbon-cuttings/dedications for infrastructure projects
5. honors and awards ceremonies
6. festive/seasonal or mess dinners
7. other military institutional commemorations (for example, Remembrance Day, Battle of Britian, Battle of the Atlantic)

Military and state funerals

4.4 Funeral ceremonies are not considered to be public military ceremonies for the purposes of this policy (see Drill and Ceremonial Manual, Next of Kin’s Wishes, 11-2-1). Funerals are blended ceremonies of military drill and ritual, along with SFT rites and traditions. A funeral is considered to typically be a family-led event that honors the family’s wishes, pays honor and respect to the deceased and often includes the family and deceased’s personal expressions of their SFT. The CAF will demonstrate a reasonable and respectful understanding towards the expression of the family and deceased’s SFT. The presence of CAF members at a funerary event in an official capacity reflects the institution’s commitment to honoring the military service and sacrifice of the deceased and does not compromise the duty of state religious and spiritual neutrality. Chaplains may be closely involved with such ceremonies as officiants. This policy does not restrict CAF members from attending or participating in a funerary event, inclusive of prayer or other religious and spiritual rites, while in uniform or otherwise in an official capacity.

Indigenous cultural practices

4.5 Indigenous practices may be included in military settings for cultural, historical, and educational purposes. This approach reflects Canada’s constitutional recognition of Indigenous rights, the historical suppression of Indigenous traditions by the state, and an ongoing commitment to reconciliation. It does not constitute an endorsement or advancement of a particular system of belief.

4.6 When incorporated into military events or ceremonies, Indigenous practices, some of which contain spiritual elements, must be relevant to the occasion and framed explicitly within an educational and cultural context. Their inclusion supports reconciliation objectives and efforts to strengthen relationships between CAF members and Indigenous peoples.

4.7 The inclusion of Indigenous practices must remain consistent with the duty to maintain religious neutrality and the principles set out in this Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instruction (CAFMPI). CAF members or attendees are not required to participate in any spiritual component of these practices.

4.8 Indigenous leaders and Elders participating in these activities shall be engaged in a respectful and culturally informed manner and advised of this direction.

Historical customs and traditions

4.9 Certain religious customs and prayers have been passed down through Canadian military history, providing comfort and purpose throughout the life of a service or unit. For example, regimental and service prayers, regimental graces or patron saints, have been included in commemorative services for several generations. While these prayers and religious customs connect presently serving members with the past, providing a continuity of tradition, religious customs and prayers themselves cannot be imposed on anyone as a condition of service. If commanders deem it important for their members to learn about these religious customs or prayers as a part of their own unit, service or regimental history, members could be required to learn about them in an educational context (such as unit orientation training, regimental officer’s training, etc.), not during a military ceremony. Members would then understand the historical custom of reciting the prayer and they are not being asked to participate in, agree with or believe in the prayer.

Chaplains

4.10 Chaplains are privileged to be leaders that contribute to a CAF member’s search for meaning, and the integration of their deeply held beliefs with the requirements of military service. Spiritual reflections increase the capacity of the Chain of Command (CoC) to support spiritual health and well-being with a shared commitment of respect, that neither conflicts with nor diminishes the many other resources and activities that the CoC may utilize to care for the spiritual health of all.

4.11 This policy does not limit a chaplain’s personal beliefs or ability to provide spiritual or religious care. It defines the boundaries of appropriate language during public military ceremonies where chaplains act as representatives of the CAF rather than their own SFT. Rather than limiting chaplains, the policy privileges them to fulfill their broader mission: providing meaningful support to a diverse military community.

4.12 This policy does not restrict chaplains during private conversations (counselling), within faith-specific gatherings, or in their spiritual roles (such as leading religious or spiritual rites, milestone ceremonies, regular weekly worship or gatherings). Chaplains are expressly mandated to offer spiritual and religious care from their SFT, which includes prayer, counsel, and ritual support from a broad range of traditions, as requested. The chaplaincy remains a robust and diverse resource for spiritual/faith-based care.

5. Responsibilities

Responsibilities table

5.1 The following table identifies the responsibilities associated with this instruction: 

6. References

Acts, regulations, central agency policies and associated DAOD

• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• Canadian Bill of Rights
• Canadian Human Rights Act
• QR&O 33, Chaplain Services
• DAOD 5516-3, Religious or Spiritual Accommodation

Other references

• Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defense
• The Defense Team Total Health and Wellness Strategy
• Canadian Armed Forces Ethos: Trusted to Serve
• Fighting Spirit: The Profession of Arms in Canada
• Canadian Armed Forces Dress Instructions, Chapter 2, Policy and appearance, section 3, Spiritual accommodation
• The Canadian Forces Manual of Drill and Ceremonial, Chapter 11 – Religious Services and Funerals
• Mouvement laïque québécois v. Saguenay (City), 2015 SCC 16
• BC Court of Appeal Decision
• Special Interest Profile, 2021 Census of Population – Profile of interest: Religion – Geography: Canada [Country]
• Called to Serve (2022-2030): The Royal Canadian Chaplain Service Spiritual Resilience and Well-being Strategy (this document can only be accessed on the DWAN)