Military, church struggle to address Catholic chaplains shortage

Military, church struggle to address Catholic chaplains shortage
By Dan Springer
Published April 06, 2012
FoxNews.com

As Catholics around the world observe Good Friday and prepare for their most holy day Easter Sunday, the U.S. military is facing a crisis in faith. The number of Catholic chaplains has plummeted nearly by half the last decade, leaving thousands of soldiers going months without seeing a priest.

“If you’re out in a location defending our nation,” the Rev. Kerry Abbott said, “you may not have ready access to a Catholic priest chaplain, if you’re out in a combat zone, for example.”

Abbott is the director of the Military Archdiocese, charged with serving all the armed services. He’s down to 216 Catholic chaplains. Catholics make up the largest single religious denomination in the military, with 275,00 among the active-duty troops. It means there is one chaplain for every 1,300 Catholic servicemen and servicewomen.

Catholic soldiers are largely on their own when it comes to practicing their faith, with little chance to celebrate the sacraments, such as Holy Communion, Reconciliation and Anointing the Sick.

“These are staples of Catholic life,” says Army Chaplain Col. Gary Studniewski who’s stationed at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington state. “To be denied that when you’re in the service of your country is a travesty.”
read more here