OTTAWA, ON — The Canadian Foundation for Universal Ethics Education (CFUEE) calls on the federal government and the leadership of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to immediately reverse the directive restricting military chaplains from offering faith-specific prayers and invoking the Creator during public ceremonies.

This directive, however well-intentioned, risks undermining the very foundations of universal ethics and human dignity that Canada has long affirmed at home and abroad. In our view, excluding reference to God and limiting the ability of religious chaplains to serve in accordance with their deepest convictions does not advance neutrality. Instead, it risks imposing a new, state‑approved orthodoxy in which comprehensive religious and moral visions are pushed to the margins of public life, including in those solemn moments when members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) most need moral clarity, consolation, and hope.

Universal Morality and the Search for a Common Good

CFUEE is committed to universal ethics education rooted in principles that can be recognized and affirmed across cultures, traditions, and worldviews. Historically, the language of God and the Creator has been one way societies have expressed these shared moral truths: that every person possesses inherent dignity, that certain actions are always wrong regardless of circumstances, and that justice, mercy, fidelity, and courage matter. When public institutions categorically exclude such language, they risk cutting themselves off from a rich moral vocabulary that has helped form consciences and sustain ethical conduct for generations.

In the military context, where life-and-death decisions are an inescapable reality, clarity about universal moral norms is not a luxury; it is essential. Allowing chaplains to speak openly from their religious traditions, including invoking the Creator, supports the moral formation of service members rather than detracting from it. It also reinforces the idea that moral accountability ultimately transcends human authorities and political interests.

Conscience, Pluralism, and a Truly Inclusive Military

Canada rightly affirms freedom of conscience and religion as fundamental human rights. These freedoms are not merely private; they include the right, within reasonable limits, to live out one’s beliefs in community and in public settings. Members of the CAF, as citizens who voluntarily accept great risks in service to the country, do not surrender these rights when they put on the uniform.

Genuine pluralism does not mean banishing religious expression from public ceremonies. Rather, it means making space for diverse traditions to be represented respectfully, in ways that are compatible with the dignity of all. A directive that restricts chaplains from offering faith-specific prayers or referring to God in public events effectively treats religious language as inherently problematic or divisive. This sends an unintended but troubling message: that religious perspectives are less welcome in the shared life of the nation than secular ones.

CFUEE believes that a truly inclusive approach would acknowledge that many CAF members draw strength, purpose, and resilience from their relationship with God. To erase that dimension from the very ceremonies designed to honour their sacrifices risks alienating those whose consciences are formed by faith. It may also lead some to conclude that in order to belong fully, they must bracket or silence their deepest convictions.

Moral Formation in the Demanding Context of Military Service

Military service places extraordinary moral and psychological demands on individuals. They are asked to endure hardship, confront danger, and sometimes make split-second decisions under extreme pressure. In these circumstances, moral formation cannot be reduced to rules, regulations, and operational directives. Service members also need the interior strength that comes from a well-formed conscience, a sense of ultimate purpose, and a coherent vision of the good that can sustain them in times of trial.

Religious chaplains, when allowed to draw openly on their faith traditions, contribute significantly to this formation. They help members of the CAF grapple with questions of meaning, guilt, forgiveness, sacrifice, and hope—questions that cannot be fully addressed in purely procedural or secular terms. Restricting chaplains to generic, non-faith-specific language risks diminishing their capacity to offer the depth of support and guidance that many service members seek.

Rights of Service Members and the Role of Chaplains

Chaplains have long served as visible signs that the rights and dignity of military personnel are taken seriously, even in the most difficult circumstances. They are entrusted with safeguarding the spiritual and moral welfare of those under their care. When chaplains are constrained from praying according to their faith or invoking the Creator at public ceremonies, the rights at stake are not only those of the chaplains themselves, but also those of the service members who rely on them.

Members of the CAF who wish to participate in ceremonies where God is acknowledged, and where prayers are offered from specific religious traditions, should not be deprived of this support as a matter of policy. A pluralistic military can and should accommodate a range of practices, including moments of silence, interfaith observances, and faith-specific expressions, provided they are offered in a spirit of respect and without coercion. Prohibiting religious reference in public ceremonies risks flattening this rich diversity and impoverishing the moral and spiritual life of the institution as a whole.

A Respectful Call for Reconsideration

CFUEE recognizes and appreciates the desire of the federal government and CAF leadership to respect all members, including those who do not identify with any religion. We share the commitment to protect individuals from discrimination and coercion. At the same time, we respectfully submit that the current directive overshoots this goal by treating religious expression as something to be carefully excised from public ceremonies rather than thoughtfully integrated within a framework of mutual respect.

We therefore renew our call for the immediate reversal of the directive restricting military chaplains from offering faith-specific prayers and invoking the Creator in public ceremonies. We urge decision-makers to engage in open dialogue with chaplains, service members, and representatives of diverse religious and non-religious communities to develop a more balanced policy—one that honours universal moral principles, respects conscience, safeguards pluralism, and recognizes the essential role that chaplains play in the moral and spiritual life of the Canadian Armed Forces.