President Suspends Constitution For Christian Clerics In Military--Will Restore rights This Sunday
The Archdiocese for the Military Services in the US estimates that 50 priests were prevented from celebrating Mass on military bases on Sunday, October 6, because of a policy barring civilian chaplains during the federal government shutdown.
400 to 1 (who's the 1?)
Although the US House of Representatives voted 400 to 1 to allow civilian chaplains on bases, and the Defense Department announced that it was recalling civilian employees, these policies apparently came too late to allow some chaplains to administer the sacraments.
Chaplains have been assured that they will be able to resume normal schedules this coming Sunday.
Chaplains who were not active-duty members of the armed forces were prohibited from celebrating Mass because of a policy that barred contractual employees from military bases during the government shutdown.
One Catholic priest who was stopped from celebrating Mass at a base in Georgia, Father Ray Leonard, reported: "My parishioners were upset. They were angry and dismayed. They couldn't believe that in America they'd be denied access to Mass by the government."
Rep. Tim Huelskamp had this reaction: "Time and time again this Administration demonstrates it is waging a war against the very religious freedoms upon which America was founded. This is exactly why we worked to pass legislation (House Concurrent Resolution 58) this past weekend - to protect the religious liberties of all those who bravely serve in our Armed Forces."