Come back

2 min

25 Okt. 2023

18071

Who is a military chaplain and what role does he play in war?

Culture
Popular
Veranstaltungen
Krieg
Ukraine

Share:

Who is a military chaplain and what role does he play in war?

Military chaplains fight alongside other soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but in the spiritual sphere. Find out more about chaplaincy in Ukraine, what are the main tasks of military clergy and why their role at the front is also important

More interesting and useful news in our Telegram-channel
More interesting and useful news in our Telegram-channel
FOLLOW


On October 25, Ukraine celebrates the Day of the Military Chaplain, a person whose main task is to be there for and support the morale of military personnel. The legal status of chaplains is enshrined in national and international laws, and their status is equal to that of military personnel who also fight at the front, but in the spiritual sphere.


Who are the military chaplains of Ukraine, how many clergymen serve in the Armed Forces and what role they play at the front - we will tell you further in the article.


Who is a military chaplain and who can be one in Ukraine?


Military chaplains are representatives of the clergy who meet the religious needs of soldiers in the army and at the front in wartime. Typically, chaplains monitor the morale of soldiers, conduct worship services, adjust soldiers before battle, support soldiers and their civilian families, bless weapons, and perform funeral services for fallen soldiers.


In addition, chaplains are officially equated with deputy regimental or battalion commanders. As a rule, they have a personal assistant and an armed adjutant, because chaplains themselves do not perform combat missions related to the destruction of the enemy.


A representative of a religious organization who is a citizen of Ukraine and has a mandate to carry out military chaplaincy activities can join the Armed Forces as a chaplain.


How many chaplains serve in the Armed Forces?


According to Colonel Oleksiy Tereshchuk, Head of the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, there are currently more than 738 military chaplain positions in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, 244 clergymen received mandates, and 78 officers were appointed to the positions of full-time military chaplains. 


However, Tereshchuk notes that receiving a mandate does not mean that a priest immediately becomes a military chaplain.


"There is a certain procedure, and as of today, 78 full-time military chaplains have already been appointed, who have received a military rank and signed a contract. After being appointed, a military chaplain undergoes special training. The training includes not only pastoral care or educational work, but also counseling, especially for the commander," he explained.


Most of the chaplains in Ukraine are represented by the priests of the OCU, who are subordinate to the Synodal Department of Military Clergy. However, in addition to them, there are also chaplains from the Department of Military Chaplaincy of the UGCC, chaplains from the First Ukrainian Battalion of Military Chaplains from Protestant pastors, and imams - Muslim chaplains.




Visit Ukraine on social media: Telegram | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok




What role does a military chaplain play in war?


The main task of a chaplain at war is to be there for his colleagues and stabilize their morale, reminding them who they are and why they are here and now. In international practice, a military chaplain should remain a pastor under any circumstances, because this is where his authority is based and where his strength lies.


Officers without weapons in their hands fulfill the same important mission as those who go directly into battle, because from the point of view of psychology, a person at war begins to believe in God much more than in civilian life.


Why has russia turned even chaplains into propagandists?


One of the important parts of the work of chaplains in Ukraine is to remind their brothers that they came to defend their own, and the destruction of the enemy is not a sin, but, on the contrary, the will of God. 


At the same time, russian church representatives on the battlefield, under the influence of the russian authorities, have become real propagandists, betraying the basic principles that a pastor should adhere to. Since 2014, they have been turning black into white, forcing russians to commit atrocities on foreign soil. 


We remind you! In the first reading, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a bill that should begin the process of banning the moscow patriarchate in Ukraine. Read more about why the parliament could not vote for the ban for more than 10 months and what will change after the adoption in our previous article.


Photo: Ivan Nikolayev (TASS)


Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.




You may be interested in:


Visit Ukraine Donation - make a good deed and an important contribution to the Victory of Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Legal advice - comprehensive legal support on entry to Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Tours - the largest online database of tours to Ukraine for every taste;

Visit Ukraine Merch - choose patriotic clothing and accessories with worldwide delivery;

Visit Ukraine News - get the latest news and updates in our Telegram channel;

Cooperation - cooperation and advertising integrations with Visit Ukraine and Visit World projects.




© 2018-2023, Visit Ukraine. Use, copying or reprinting of materials on this site is permitted only with a link (hyperlink for online publications) to Visit Ukraine.

All rights reserved.

Recommended articles

3 min

Krieg War in Israel: should we fear mass migration of Israelis to Ukraine, as prophesied by the russian IPSO

War in Israel: should we fear mass migration of Israelis to Ukraine, as prophesied by the russian IPSO

Information was thrown into the rossmedia that citizens of Israel are migrating en masse to Ukraine after losing the war against Hamas. Find out more about what Ukrainians think about this and why this is one of the most delusional IPSOs by russia

21 Okt. 2023

More details

2 min

Popular Draft law on civil partnerships: what it is and what it will regulate

Draft law on civil partnerships: what it is and what it will regulate

The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine have supported the draft law on civil partnerships. Learn more about the draft law and why its adoption is important for society

21 Okt. 2023

More details

3 min

Regeln für die Einreise Aktuelle regeln für die Einreise in die Ukraine: grenzübertritt, erforderliche dokumente, visumspflicht, einschränkungen

Aktuelle regeln für die Einreise in die Ukraine: grenzübertritt, erforderliche dokumente, visumspflicht, einschränkungen

Ukrainer, ausländische Staatsbürger und Staatenlose können während des Krieges frei in das Hoheitsgebiet der Ukraine einreisen, unterliegen jedoch bestimmten Einschränkungen. Erfahren Sie alles über die aktuellen Regeln für den Grenzübertritt in die Ukraine und die erforderlichen Dokumente

24 Okt. 2023

More details

2 min

Documents Multiple citizenship in Ukraine: what is known about the draft law

Multiple citizenship in Ukraine: what is known about the draft law

Ukrainians may be eligible for multiple citizenship, but not all and only under certain conditions. Find out at what stage the draft law is and why the government is introducing such changes

24 Okt. 2023

More details