Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
OTTAWA — Canadian Forces Chaplain General Guy Bélisle appeared at Ottawa’s National War Memorial on Monday to lead his first Remembrance Day reflection under a controversial new directive, which the Opposition Conservatives have called a de-facto military prayer ban.
“In the spirit of peace and gratitude, this moment prompts us to reflect on the sacrifices of our heroes and their families,” said Bélisle in his brief remarks, which noticeably did not include any variation of the word “prayer.”
This was a departure from the Chaplain General’s attempt to bridge the secular and spiritual worlds in his remarks at last year’s ceremony.
“May these words I share now be, for some, the prayers of your heart (and) for others a reflection of your heartfelt thanksgiving,” he said at the time.
The shift in language comes after Bélisle independently issued a fall 2023 directive decreeing that military chaplain-led public reflections be “inclusive in nature” and “respectful of the religious and spiritual diversity of Canada.”
The directive was issued in response to a 2015 Supreme Court of Canada decision banning prayer in some public settings.
Bélisle nevertheless agreed to put a temporary pause on the new policy after receiving several complaints in the lead up to last year’s Remembrance Day ceremonies.
Under the military’s pre-existing policy, chaplains were allowed to lead public prayer, so long as they first invited those not accustomed to prayer to instead engage in “silent personal reflection or contemplation.”
Bélisle says that the military is bound by law to abide by the 2015 Supreme Court decision on religious neutrality.
Scott McCaig, bishop of the Military Ordinariate of Canada, said in a statement on Friday that he disagreed.
“The forbidding of all religious expression at… military events does indeed give the impression that the government is preferring non-religion over religion,” wrote McCaig.
“This is contrary to the ‘Saguenay decision’ of the Supreme Court which requires government neutrality on religious issues, precisely to protect the religious conscious rights of all.”
But Monday’s ceremony wasn’t totally godless affair, ending with a benediction from Ottawa Rabbi Idan Scher.
“May God guide us in remembrance (and) give us the strength to unite in the face of adversity,” proclaimed Scher to close out the proceedings.
National Post
Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here.
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
English