A fantastic development for ensuring that the needs of those without a religious outlook can receive the tailored support they need from someone with a shared perspective on the world.
Also great news for making chaplaincy services more neutral and inclusive.
Wonder if āchaplainā is the right word here (maybe itās not even what they have called him, just what the media have said)? Thereās clearly a role for pastoral care for the non-religious and even Iām glad itās being fulfilled.
Iām also not sure that calling a non-religious person āpadreā sets quite the right toneā¦
The article talks about this!
Humanists UK works to increase provision across all sectors, and in every part of the UK. It doesnāt use the word āchaplainā to describe such practitioners, because many understand this to be a Christian-only term, instead preferring ānon-religious pastoral carerā, but some practitioners do have āchaplainā in their job titles, reflecting the practice of their employers.
i think padre is more appropriate title.
my understanding is a padre is a not denominational or specific to any religion. A Padre could be a Rabbi or Imam but would not exclude non Jews or Muslims from seeking solace in the person qualified and in place to provide it.
this is best indicated by Warks&Brum webpage
As a unique role in the organisation, our vision for chaplaincy is to provide appropriate pastoral care for all personnel within the Air Cadets, irrespective of religious belief or status. If youāre a minister or priest of any religion you can apply to become a chaplain at any of our ATC squadrons up and down the country. There are openings for lay ministers such as readers, lay preachers and others who fulfil an authorised ministry in the pastoral work of the parish, circuit or district.
Where appropriate to meet the needs of cadets from non-Christian faiths, clerics from other religions may also be appointed.
I actually object more to the term āpadreā than āchaplainā.
Terms like āchaplainā can evolve over time.
āPadreā (father) feels much more deferential, religious, and patriarchal.
There are quite mixed views on this one though I think.
i guess it depends on experience/approach.
I first heard the term āPadreā once i was a Cadet and only ever in a military setting. The Sqn Padre we had when i was a Cadet while a vicar was not preachy or religious during the āpadre hourā that was in the monthly timetable.
as my first experience of a padre was not a religious experience, but someone who was best placed to discuss various interesting topics (moral dilemmas etc), the fact he was a vicar was simply a coincidence - he only ever showed a religious side during enrolments/open days and other āformalā occasions when he offered a pray for the Squadron.
having grown up and met RAF/Regular Padreās their approach has been much the same as my initial one, even if ATC padreās have been more Christian and Religious. so my association of āpadreā is somewhat skewed based on that āpositiveā impression rather than the historical background to its use
Am i the only one who thinks this should be the default. Traditionally the military leans heavily on religion during ceremonies etc but the modern day id argue theres a larger % that are now non religious.
So day to day theres no reference or requirement to bow to any religion but then individual religious point of contacts are avaliable to use where required.
Like i dont quite know why a fair chunk of Sqns use the local padre for enrolment when in the modern world we are far more diverse than that.
Our policy still dictates the religious link. To quote ACP 20:
- Chaplains are recruited to provide spiritual, moral welfare and pastoral care for all members of the RAFAC. Honorary chaplains are to be accredited church workers/ministers.
and
- Denomination. The candidate must be willing and suitable to work on an interdenominational basis and will be drawn from a Church (the āSending Churchā) which is a member of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (which includes Presbyterian, Anglican, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist and Congregational Churches). The Squadron Chaplain should be an ordained minister or an authorised lay minister (eg reader, youth worker).
I find the idea of importing a religious leader to enroll my cadets to be balmy.
I did initially try to grow a diverse chaplaincy team of all faiths and beliefs, but was blocked from having a ācompromisedā non-religious chaplain by a wing chaplain, so I binned the idea.
If I couldnāt do it inclusively, I wasnāt doing it.
Iām the leader of the unit and very much capable of handling important ceremonial events in a neutral and inclusive way.
I consider it to be one of the most important roles I have as a unit commander and Iām now really glad I didnāt outsource it.
This is the most objectionable aspect for me, and is why I was particularly angry at having a non-religious chaplain proposal blocked for being ācompromisedā when I first took over.
By the above criteria, I could legitimately be the organisationās first Humanist chaplain.
If youāre telling me itās about pastoral care for our young adults and staff, but weāre flexible enough to appoint a chaplain who is a youth worker or lay reader for their church, then what weāre really admitting is that itās about them being a Christian and backed by a recognised church, and that this should do for all of us regardless of what we believe.
Itās not inclusive and it clearly privileges Christianity above all other religions and beliefs.