The U.S. Army’s decision to cancel a range of Catholic chapel support contracts compromise the ability of Catholic service members and families to practice their faith, a recent opinion column in The Hill argued.
In the op-ed, titled “Defunding of catechists leaves Catholic soldiers in a lurch,” Christopher J. Motz, senior counsel in the military affairs practice group at First Liberty Institute, argues that an October policy shift has placed a disproportionate burden on Catholic soldiers.
The Army ordered a cancellation of contracts, which took effect in November, for musicians, Coordinators of Religious Education (CRE), and Catholic Pastoral Life Coordinators (CPLC) across the Army.
Motz reports that Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who leads the Archdiocese for the Military Services and previously served as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a pastoral letter Oct. 17 criticizing the move. Motz notes that Archbishop Broglio has warned that the cuts “overburden” the already small number of Catholic chaplains and “stifle the spiritual life of service members and their families.”
The Army Chaplain Corps remains disproportionately small for the Catholic population it serves. Motz cites figures showing that 20% of active-duty personnel are Catholic — about 250,000 across all service branches — and yet Catholic chaplains represent less than 6% of the Army’s chaplaincy.
Because Catholic sacramental life depends on preparation by qualified Catholics, the now-canceled contracts had filled gaps chaplains alone could not cover.
“Tens of thousands of soldiers and their family members rely upon contracted support for spiritual sustenance,” Motz writes.
He argues that the Army’s suggestion that soldiers simply seek services off-post amounts to “a tacit admission that the Army has failed them,” noting that such an option is unrealistic for many rural and overseas duty stations.
Motz also invokes longstanding federal obligations. According to Motz, Congress recognized, as early as the 1850s, that failing to support military chaplaincy could infringe upon service members’ free exercise rights, an obligation that has been reinforced in modern court rulings, including ones by the Supreme Court.
Motz also challenges the Army’s cost justification. He notes that a typical contract for a Catholic religious education coordinator runs about $14,400 annually, whereas a single precision-guided artillery round can cost $100,000. In his view, “the Army’s decision isn’t neutral cost-cutting; it is an insurmountable barrier to worship.”
However, an Army spokesman said in a statement provided to OSV News that the matter will be “reexamined.” Motz says the development “shows that they are listening.”
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