Faith on the front lines

(Vatican Radio) How to cope with grief and loss of the latest casualties? How to deal with shock and fear in the face of conflict? The role of military chaplain is a challenging one, providing spiritual care, a sympathetic ear or simple words of comfort for those serving in situations of combat in countries around the world. Although military chaplains are highly valued and still much in demand, there is now a severe shortage of priests willing to take on this demanding task – that’s according to the Catholic Bishop of the Forces in Great Britain, Richard Moth, who recently appealed for prayers for new vocations to the military chaplaincy.
As he prepares to mark the silver jubilee of the military ordinariate in Britain on September 29^th, Bishop Moth talked to Vatican Radio’s Philippa Hitchen about this unique form of ministry and the many difficulties facing those who share their faith on the front lines….

Listen:

"We are (experiencing shortages) in all three services, particular in the Royal Air Force …I’ve a very real sense that military chaplaincy is a ‘vocation within a vocation’….

It’s not at all an easy task….we have chaplains ‘in theatre’ in Afghanistan and with the Royal Navy particularly in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean, piracy operations off the African coast….

They are hugely valued by personnel and families: even if you might have service personnel who don’t have great faith themselves, they really recognise the value of the chaplain and the support they give, somebody outside the chain of command to whom they can go with their problems, somebody who’ll pray with them and be with them in those difficult moments and really bring them a sense of hope of the Resurrection….."