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Or sign-in if you have an account.Padre Rory MacDonald (at the podium) speaks to the crowd and leads a prayer on Remembrance Day on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, in Cornwall, Ont. Photo by Shawna O'Neill/Cornwall Standard-Freeholder/Postmedia NetworkHere we go again.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorAs it did in 2023, the federal government is seeking to restrict prayers by military chaplains, instead encouraging them to offer “spiritual reflections” — essentially life lessons or other inspirational bon mots.To jog memories: A 2023 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) directive updating a 2013 military policy told chaplains to avoid using religious symbols at public events, to filter religious expression through “Gender Based Analysis” to avoid asking anyone to remove a hat or headwear during their presentations, and, most infamously, to replace prayer with nebulous, sanitized alternatives called “spiritual reflections.” This new document, taking the form of Military Personnel Instructions, clarifies that such reflections “do not use religious specific language” but rather “reflect upon lessons learned, beliefs, values, and experiences to inspire gratitude, remembrance, hope, and integrity.”The federal government is once again presenting this change as a more inclusive measure while achieving the exact opposite. As my colleagues said in 2023, prayers across different faith lines are not interchangeable. A spiritual reflection that applies to all ultimately applies to none. Trying to appease everyone actually makes no one happy.The National Post newsletter that doesn’t hold back, giving readers the unvarnished truth on media, politics and culture.By signing up, you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Right? will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againSo would more religious prayers actually be a preferable option? We believe the research says yes. Working with the Angus Reid Institute, we have polled Canadians several times on the subject of religious tolerance. The religiously committed, privately faithful, and spiritually uncertain, by and large, view most faiths positively. While a Hindu prayer might not suit the needs of a Catholic, there is a broad endurance by those who are believers or consider themselves agnostic for other people living out their faith lives. It is only atheists, representing just a third of Canadians, who hold a negative perception of all other religions.What the government calls inclusion, in this case, is an effort to achieve neutrality that instead turns into secular uniformity, which is not the same thing.CAF leadership in 2023 argued that this change was necessary to comply with a 2015 Supreme Court ruling that enforced “state neutrality” which said “it must neither favour nor hinder any particular belief, and the same holds true for non-belief.” Yet the policy the CAF has adopted plainly favours non-belief.The CAF defends its policy by assuring that it “does not limit a chaplain’s personal beliefs or ability to provide spiritual or religious care,” which is a false statement. If chaplains are prohibited from praying in contexts where prayer has historically been expected, their ability to exercise their ministry has, in fact, been narrowed.This same new policy states that “the spiritual and moral health and well-being of CAF members are essential.” How do those faithful members of the CAF feel today, I wonder, when finding out how their command structure feels towards their choice of faith?A better approach would be one that is rooted in the pluralistic thinking that emerged from thousands of years of thought and hard-won experience by western states. A wider array of prayers, offering value and meaning to more members of the CAF and the broader community, is of greater value than a one-size-fits-all Valedictorian speech.This new policy is not the best use of the talents of our military chaplains and it doesn’t align with the job they were hired to do. Chaplains are not generic wellness coaches or motivational speakers. They are representatives of particular faith traditions invited into military life because service members seek spiritual care rooted in those traditions. Asking chaplains to set aside the very language of their faith in public settings misunderstands both the vocation of chaplaincy and the needs of those they serve.CAF members are best supported when chaplains come to work as their whole selves, and when their leaders focus on the real issues. This is critical at a time when the CAF is facing decaying equipment, ammunition shortages, recruitment woes and an increasingly unsteady world.It is our prayer that this policy will be revisited to ensure broader faith representation in public events. Because if there is anything the CAF needs now, it’s exactly that.National PostBrian Dijkema is the president of Cardus. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. 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