A chaplain is first and foremost a clergyman, that is, a person invested with a spiritual dignity. And if he feels called "in the world", then the priest has the opportunity to combine these paths.
Who are chaplains?
Legend says that Saint Martin of Tours, in severe frosts, himself suffering from the cold, gave half of his vestment to the beggar so that he would not freeze, and thereby saved his life. At night, the bishop had a vision that with his clothes he warmed Jesus Christ in the guise of a beggar. Since then, part of his vestments has become one of the Christian shrines, especially revered by the kings of France. They took her on campaigns, erecting a special camp temple (lat. Capella) for worship on the way. The priest who was attached to the chapel eventually became known as the chaplain.
What did a chaplain do in a Roman Catholic church?
In past centuries, the duties of a clergyman of this rank were quite extensive. Initially, a chaplain is a priest who accompanies the army of the French king on a campaign. Over time, the term has become much more widely used. So they began to call all people of spiritual dignity who did not live in a monastery, but were engaged in some kind of secularactivity. As a rule, she was associated with teaching and the duties of personal secretaries of noble and we althy citizens. In Medieval Europe, one of the functions of the Roman Catholic Church was to control the dissemination and preservation of knowledge. All sciences, exact and humanities, developed only in monasteries, and people received education at several universities, where lectures were given by monks. Gradually, the concept of "chaplain" in the Roman Catholic Church united all the clergy at the house chapels of the aristocracy, since, in addition to worship, they taught children to read and write, and often also treated the sick on the estate.
Serving as chaplains in the army
Currently, the position of chaplain in the army attracts close attention. Initially, a priest in the army was called a chaplain. Then the concept became wider, but it was there that chaplains were always in demand. Soldiers are people with weapons in their hands, and they need a spiritual shepherd who will resolve doubts in difficult times. A priest in the army never takes up arms, does not participate in battles. Also, he does not in any way give blessings for war. A chaplain is a shepherd and his mission is not to let a person forget about compassion, morality and conscience in a difficult situation. He helps wounded believers to reconcile with God, and also performs services for dead soldiers.
Other Ways of Chaplain Service
Not all priests with secular duties serve in the military. A chaplain is a priest at a hospital,teacher at a parochial school, a Christian psychologist at the university. In any field of activity related to helping people, their work is in demand. In our time, religion in most countries is separated from the state, citizens are given freedom of religion, including a ban on atheism. This means that the state does not maintain the official posts of clergy. But a person can feel the need for God at any time in his life. And the chaplain is an opportunity to approach him for those who cannot visit the temple for various reasons. For example, in places of deprivation of liberty, prisoners do not have a parish, but in many prisons there are chapels where you can go to confession. Chaplains also support various volunteer movements in various forms. This may be holding a seminar or lectures for its participants, accompanying them in a dangerous service associated with a risk to life. As a rule, the chaplain is the official representative of the Christian church, and his presence also expresses support for any undertaking. This raises the authority of the organization, draws the attention of believers to its problems. Often they take on the burden of talking between opponents in local conflicts.
A chaplain is a priest who understands the needs of the world. His goal in any situation is to highlight the main thing - the moral aspect of the problem that a person who is not always close to religion is trying to solve. And regardless of religion, never refuse to help. For example, a military chaplain is Orthodoxa priest will always listen and help both a Muslim and an atheist to sort out the problem that has arisen, if they seek advice and support.
