Military Ordinariate of Canada
Encyclopedia
The Military Ordinariate of Canada is a military ordinariate
of the Roman
Catholic Church. Immediately subject to the Holy See
, it provides pastoral care
to Roman Catholics serving in the Canadian Forces
and their families.
. The local ordinary carries the honorary rank of Major-General. Its offices are located at the Uplands site in Ottawa
. The current bishop
is Donald Thériault. The Chaplain-General of Canada is also a General, the Brigadier-General Karl McLean. Colonel John Fletcher was installed as Archdeacon of the Anglican Military Ordinariate of Canada in November 2010.
The need to appoint a bishop had only felt during the Second World War, while chaplains
had already been represented since the Boer War
. Since the promulgation of the apostolic constitution
Spirituali militum curae by Pope John Paul II
, the administration of chaplaincies was made much easier. Catholic chaplains are grouped within the Interfaith Committee on Canadian Military Chaplaincy (ICCMC). They may baptize soldiers and their children and lead memorial services.
Similar services are also granted to Jews, Muslims and Protestants.
Military ordinariate
A military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church, of Latin or Eastern Rite, responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics serving in the armed forces of a nation....
of the Roman
Roman Catholic (term)
The term Roman Catholic appeared in the English language at the beginning of the 17th century, to differentiate specific groups of Christians in communion with the Pope from others; comparable terms in other languages already existed...
Catholic Church. Immediately subject to the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, it provides pastoral care
Pastoral care
Pastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, or to persons of all faiths and none within institutional settings. This can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided...
to Roman Catholics serving in the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
and their families.
History
The military vicariate of Canada was canonically erected on 17 February 1951 by Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. The local ordinary carries the honorary rank of Major-General. Its offices are located at the Uplands site in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. The current bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
is Donald Thériault. The Chaplain-General of Canada is also a General, the Brigadier-General Karl McLean. Colonel John Fletcher was installed as Archdeacon of the Anglican Military Ordinariate of Canada in November 2010.
The need to appoint a bishop had only felt during the Second World War, while chaplains
Military chaplain
A military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the...
had already been represented since the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
. Since the promulgation of the apostolic constitution
Apostolic constitution
An apostolic constitution is the highest level of decree issued by the Pope. The use of the term constitution comes from Latin constitutio, which referred to any important law issued by the Roman emperor, and is retained in church documents because of the inheritance that the canon law of the...
Spirituali militum curae by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, the administration of chaplaincies was made much easier. Catholic chaplains are grouped within the Interfaith Committee on Canadian Military Chaplaincy (ICCMC). They may baptize soldiers and their children and lead memorial services.
Similar services are also granted to Jews, Muslims and Protestants.
Ivor Norris Bursary
The Anglican Military Ordinariate of Canada has sponsored the Ivor Norris Bursary for over twenty-five years. This bursary program comes under the administrative purview of the Military Ordinariate of Canada and is awarded annually to applicants who have a personal connection to the Canadian Forces through personal military service (past or present), being married to or the child of someone with past or current service. The applicant must be enrolled in theological studies leading toward ordination and sponsored by a Bishop for ordination within the Anglican Church of Canada.Military bishops
- Charles Leo Nelligan (appointed 20 September 1939 – resigned 19 May 1945)
- Maurice RoyMaurice Roy-External links:***...
(appointed 8 June 1946 – became military vicar 17 February 1951)
Military vicars
- Maurice RoyMaurice Roy-External links:***...
(appointed 17 February 1951 – retired 12 March 1982) - Francis John SpenceFrancis John SpenceFrancis John Spence was a Canadian Roman Catholic prelate. Spence served as the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kingston from 1982 until his retirement in 2002....
(appointed 21 July 1986 – became military ordinary 21 July 1986)
Military ordinaries
- Francis John SpenceFrancis John SpenceFrancis John Spence was a Canadian Roman Catholic prelate. Spence served as the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kingston from 1982 until his retirement in 2002....
(appointed 21 July 1986 – resigned 28 October 1987) - André Vallée, P.M.E.Society of Apostolic LifeA society of apostolic life is a group of men or women within the Catholic Church who have come together for a specific purpose. Unlike members of an institute of consecrated life , members of apostolic societies do not make religious vows...
(appointed 28 October 1987 – translated to the Diocese of HearstRoman Catholic Diocese of HearstThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Hearst is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ottawa...
19 August 1996) - Donald Thériault (current incumbent, appointed 25 March 1998)
See also
- Chaplain Branch (Canadian Forces)Chaplain Branch (Canadian Forces)-Canadian Forces Chaplain School and Centre:The Canadian Forces Chaplain School and Centre in Borden, Ontario, is responsible for the training of all chaplains . CFChSC provides training in operational and static ministry.The training is provided with an operational focus and an interfaith approach...
- Patron saints of the military