Statement of the Department for External Church Relations Communication Service

Communication Service of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations is authorized to make a statement regarding a discussion touched off in Russian society on a possible introduction of the institution of army chaplains.

The modern army structure is impossible without a spiritual component in the training of the defenders of the Motherland. Moreover, human life of full value in the army is unthinkable without realization of the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Russian Constitution. Regrettably, a real legal mechanism of securing this freedom for the believes in the army has not been elaborated. The necessity of taking particular legal decisions is prompted by a special regime in the army restricting spiritual care for the servicemen.

The experience of foreign countries has shown that the institution of army chaplains supported by the state helps successfully solve many problems in the army. The access of clergy to the servicemen can be effectively guaranteed only when clergy are included in the organizational structure of the armed forces. That has been practiced in the most countries of the world, for instance, in Great Britain, Germany, Canada, France and the USA. The Baltic countries and Armenia are going the same way. The decision to establish an institution of army chaplains has been taken in Ukraine and Georgia. However, the use of foreign experience should not damage positive achievements of national educational system in the army, while army chaplains should not replace educational bodies in the army. Army chaplains are called to work hand in hand with commanders and officers in charge of political and ideological education.

The experience of foreign countries has also shown that the institution of army chaplains enhanced the morale in the army and promoted interreligious peace among the servicemen. However, that could be possible only when the army is not considered as a field for missionary activities where different religions are fighting for the new followers. Hence, only those religious associations whose members are in the military should work in the army and only with them.

Finally, our national experience of recent decades of cooperation among the army and religious organizations has shown that spiritual care for the servicemen did not bring about conflicts on religious grounds. On the contrary, pastoral care is in demand among the servicemen. It gives military service a more humane nature, strengthens the morale of the servicemen and gives their service a profound ethic meaning. All this promotes the consolidation of the country and brings about a real social benefit.

The Russian Orthodox Church highly appreciates an idea of legal establishment of the institution of army chaplains and believes that it would serve the mastering and further development of the most fruitful forms of cooperation of the religious organizations with the army.