A CRITICAL shortage of defence force chaplains means many service personnel will not have access to Mass or the sacraments on Anzac Day this week.
In the lead up to the April 25 commemoration, Australian Defence Force Bishop Max Davis said there were now fewer full-time Catholic chaplains serving with the Australian Army than there were serving with Australian forces at Gallipoli in 1915.
Bishop Davis said not since the establishment of the chaplains’ department in 1903 have there been fewer Catholic chaplains in the army.
There are only 15 full-time Catholic chaplains and 26 permanent vacancies.
He said in light of the shortage of chaplains, Catholic members of the defence force could be forgiven for thinking the Australian Church had abandoned them.
“There are about 3000 members of the Australian Defence Force who will be celebrating the 92nd anniversary of Anzac Day this week on operational deployment overseas,” Bishop Davis said.
“Not one of them has access to a Catholic chaplain and the great majority are in areas where they do not have access to a Catholic Church.
“They have no opportunity for Mass, no opportunity for sacraments, pastoral guidance from the Church or spiritual counselling in the issues they face each day,” he said.
In an article in this week’s Catholic Leader for Anzac Day, Bishop Davis describes the situation as a “grave concern”.
“Three years ago, during my regular appeal to Australia’s bishops, I requested that in light of the fact they are not providing the necessary number of Catholic chaplains, they join me in nightly prayer that no Catholic member of the defence force will die on operations without the possibility of receiving the sacraments,” he said.
“Until a recent incident that prayer was successful. I now ask that everyone join me in that prayer each night. It seems the least we can do.”
He said even personnel serving in Australia lacked adequate pastoral care and support.
“Some of them are in remote localities where there is very little Church life anyway,” he said.
“Many are in military environments which make it impossible for them to participate in the life of a local parish even if there is one,” he added.
