The U.S. Army moved forward with a decision to cancel all religious support contracts for Army chapels, drawing criticism and possible legal action from the Catholic Church.
“In canceling these contracts, the Army over-burdens Catholic chaplains, harms chapel communities, and impedes the constitutional guarantee of the free exercise of religion, especially for Catholics,” wrote Archbishop for the Military Services Timothy P. Broglio. “The cancellation of chapel contracts may appear to be a neutral elimination of chapel support, which itself affects the free exercise of religion for all soldiers.”
“This action disproportionately harms Catholics, first, because Catholic chaplains are already so low density and in such high demand, and second, because the Catholic faith requires continuing religious education and sacramental preparation that can only be accomplished through competent support,” Broglio added.
Broglio explained the infringement that the cancellation of the Army contracts has on the Constitution.
“The Army’s action intolerably infringes upon the free exercise of religion for Catholics in the U.S. Army, as well as my responsibility as Archbishop, to provide pastoral care to those within my canonical jurisdiction,” Broglio said. “I assure the faithful of this Archdiocese that I will pursue all legal options to address this grave misstep.”
Broglio’s letter, which was sent to all members of Congress, comes after the U.S. Army Installation Management Command’s Religious Support Office, under the direction of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, released a memo in March that directed the Army to cancel all religious contracts by Oct. 1.
“It creates a redundancy and is strictly prohibited to use a different funding stream to contract for tasks and services already included in validated manning requirements,” the memo said.
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Other members of the Catholic Church, including Scott Matthews, a retired Army colonel and president of the pastoral advisory council at the Daenner Catholic Community in Kaiserslautern, also condemned the decision.
“Service members and their families are used to this kind of support at Catholic parishes back home, and they deserve the same level of pastoral care while serving overseas,” Matthews said.
