Because of the U.S. government shutdown, Catholic chaplains in the military have been ordered to stop celebrating Mass on bases

Seems the Obama administration has taken advantage of the government shutdown situation to take potshots at Christians, Catholics in particular, by forbidding Catholic chaplains to celebrate Mass on military bases.

The U.S. military has furloughed as many as 50 Catholic chaplains due to the partial suspension of government services, banning them from celebrating weekend Mass. At least one chaplain was told that if he engaged in any ministry activity, he would be subjected to disciplinary action.

“In very practical terms it means Sunday Mass won’t be offered,” Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services told me. “If someone has a baptism scheduled, it won’t be celebrated.”

The Archdiocese for the Military Services tells me the military installations impacted are served by non-active-duty priests who were hired as government contractors. As a result of a shortage of active duty Catholic chaplains, the government hires contract priests.

Broglio said some military bases have forbidden the contract priests from volunteering to celebrate Mass without pay.

“They were told they cannot function because those are contracted services and since there’s no funding they can’t do it – even if they volunteer,” he said.

John Schlageter, general counsel for the archdiocese, said any furloughed priests volunteering their services could face big trouble.

“During the shutdown, it is illegal for them to minister on base and they risk being arrested if they attempt to do so,” he said in a written statement.

A well-placed source told me that a furloughed Air Force chaplain was threatened after he offered to forgo pay. The chaplain was told he could not go on base or enter his chapel offices. He was also barred from engaging in any ministry activity.

The source told me the chaplain was told that if he violated those orders he and his supervisor would be subjected to disciplinary action – with the possibility of being fired.

[…]

The archbishop said a priest at Joint Base Langley-Eustis was banned from officiating at the wedding of a couple he’d been counseling.

“The wedding could be on the base, but the priest can’t do the wedding,” Broglio told me.

[…]

I find it odd that the military was able to find enough cash to let their football teams play this weekend – but they can’t scrounge up enough cash for weekend church services.

“It’s a sad contrast when we can let a football game go on but we won’t let a priest go on base and celebrate Mass,” he said.

So in President Obama’s world – college football players are essential but Catholic priests are not.

Chris informed me that Ann Barnhardt has responded thus:

Yes, I saw that the Obama regime is threatening to arrest any priest chaplain who says Mass. Obviously, every Catholic priest chaplain should IMMEDIATLY go offer the August and Unbloody Holy Sacrifice in the most public way possible every single day and then force the Obama regime to either arrest them and physically drag them off the altar or sit down and shut up. Fix bayonets and CHARGE! No army ever won a war by cowering in fear.

Chris’ response to the above was:

I will forgive her her Catholic eucharolatory as her spirit is correct. I would hope that the Presbyterians and Anglicans would be holding daily service as well.

And if that is not allowed, if we are not permitted to pray, then it may be time to go full anabaptist and withdraw from Babylon. For if you cast out Christ, you cast out reformation of wrongs and preservation of the good.

I responded:

I agree, instead of whining about the State’s enacting this, it’s time for Christians to openly defy the State, and challenge it, come what may.

But that said, I find the Anabaptist complete separation from the State appealing at present, even though I wouldn’t normally, because I think we should avoid endorsing the Empire’s wars, and giving the Empire the appearance of legitimacy.

I’ve previously given my thoughts on chaplaincies here and here.