(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

Canadian military chaplains may have a different take on prayers as ceremonial speeches take on a more inclusive direction.

A Royal Canadian Chaplain Service directive signed on Oct. 11, is specifically meant for public services and ceremonies. It gives guidance for military chaplains to deliver reflections "in an appropriate manner to engage all those gathered."

Kamloops area Conservative MP Frank Caputo is calling out the decision by the Chaplain General as "erasing Canada's military traditions."

While the directive aims to cater to the diverse membership of Canada's military, who are not all Christian, Caputo called it a "gag order" that comes just a month before Remembrance Day.

"Our soldiers will not have the opportunity to have a Chaplain pray over them as we remember all those who fell before them," Caputo said in a news release today, Oct. 25, responding to the directive.

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In 2021, the chaplain service issued a report that found roughly 40% of armed forces members are non-religious, while nearly all military chaplains are Christian. Members said there needs to be a greater diversity of chaplains in the service.

"My colleagues and I have heard directly from chaplains who have been instructed to not include prayer or wear religious symbols at Remembrance Day ceremonies and other official functions," Caputo said. “It's time that the Liberal government receives the message loud and clear. The elimination of prayer and religious symbols crosses the line."

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Liberal MP and Defence Minister Bill Blair took to social media earlier this month, saying the chaplains are not banned from prayer, calling out Conservative messaging as "misinformation."

The non-religious non-profit Humanist Canada praised the new directive calling it a "significant step toward inclusivity" in the armed forces.

"We believe that this directive plays a crucial role in safeguarding the well-being of individuals from all walks of life and reflects the changing demographic of Canadian society," president Martin Firth said in a news release.

Caputo was not immediately available to answer questions when iNFOnews.ca reached his office by phone.

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