Canada Bars Military Chaplains From Naming God At Mandatory Ceremonies
Instruction CAFMPI 03/26, signed July 29, 2026, exempts private counselling and same-faith services from the same ban.
- CAFMPI 03/26 took effect July 29, 2026, from the Department of National Defence.
- The rule bans God, Jesus and other religious-specific language at mandatory public CAF events.
- Private chaplain counselling and voluntary same-faith gatherings remain exempt from the new instruction.
Why it matters: A state that scripts what a chaplain may say has made the ministry its own.
Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instruction (CAFMPI) 03/26 — Spiritual Reflections in Military Settings, Department of National Defence ↗ · Sep 14, 20269/14/26