Soldiers can give death or receive it. As old as war itself, this harsh human reality has historically led armies to enlist the presence of ministers of religion to provide spiritual support to combatants. In medieval France, when the king or suzerain called for the "ost" (the army in the field), the lord would go with his squire, archers, soldiers and chaplain.
In addition to the long-standing Catholic chaplains, Protestant chaplains have been officially recognised since the Crimean War in 1854. It was the law of 8 July 1880, still in force today, that legally institutionalised modern military chaplaincy, recognising three faiths: Catholic, Protestant and Jewish. Muslim chaplains have been documented in the French army since the First World War, but it was not until the inter-ministerial decree of 16 March 2005 that their chaplaincy officially joined the other three faiths.
Each of the four faiths is headed by a chief chaplain (AUMC), whose role is to ensure coordination between their military authority (the armed forces general staff) and their spiritual affiliation with the authorities of their faith. Military chaplains (AUMC) are present in all army structures: the army (including the intelligence services and the Paris fire brigade), the air force and space force, the French navy (including the Marseille marine fire brigade), the national gendarmerie and the army health service.
THEY HAVE THE RANK OF THE SOLDIER TO WHOM THEY ARE ADDRESSED, FROM 2ND CLASS TO 5 STARS
Paid by the army as active or reserve officers, chaplains have military status, with the distinctive feature of having a "transparent" rank: that of the soldier they are addressing, from the 2e class to 5 stars. Another special feature is that all four faiths include women as military chaplains, who are not necessarily priests, imams, rabbis or pastors.
A total of 210 Catholic, 65 Protestant, 30 Muslim and 18 Jewish chaplains currently serve in the French armed forces.
"The chaplain wears fatigues and a uniform like all the soldiers, sailors and airmen; he goes on operations with them and is available for them," explains Monsignor Antoine de Romanet, AUMC of the Catholic Church and, within the French episcopate, Bishop of the Armed Forces since 2017:
"First and foremost, they are people who offer positive support in all circumstances. In addition to their religious mission, they have a human support mission: that of providing a sympathetic, positive and confidential ear to all soldiers, whether they are believers or not".
This sometimes led them to support soldiers from religions other than their own. Antoine de Romanet tells the story, during the First World War, of a rabbi bringing a cross to a dying Catholic soldier, in the absence of a chaplain from his faith.
"OUR ROLE IS TO HELP PEOPLE SPEAK OUT".
Appointed to the École Militaire in 2020, Véronique Dubois is chaplain to the Jewish faith (whose AUMC is Chief Rabbi Joël Jonas). Having become an AUM in 2010, this former journalist and head of cultural projects initially worked in army training hospitals such as Bégin and Val-de-Grâce. "Our role is useful in freeing people to speak out", she says, "and the chaplain can act as a kind of safety valve, since he or she is outside the hierarchy".
She recalls a long discussion, when she was working in hospital, with a Muslim serviceman in the throes of self-doubt, when the chaplain of his faith was away on overseas operations (OPEX):
"He had been wounded in combat in Africa against the jihadist group Boko Haram, and was wondering what attitude to adopt towards a female combatant. I told him that his ability to discern between good and evil should refocus him and reassure him of his faith and his status as a French soldier.
The same kind of ecumenical experience has happened to Muslim chaplain Kamel Driouech, who has been on six overseas operations:
"In Chad, a young Protestant soldier who was suffering from a terrible malaise came to see the three chaplains on site in turn, the Protestant, the Catholic and me. He asked me to pray for him. So we prayed together, him in his way, me in mine. As a result, he felt better and thanked us for it.
Kamel Driouech notes that soldiers are more likely to come and see him on operations than when they are in their units in France. "For them, in these circumstances, talking to a chaplain seems to be a breath of fresh air", he says.
"IN OPEX, WE SHARE OUR LIVING SPACE AND OUR COOKING FACILITIES".
There are also more frequent exchanges between AUMs of different faiths, even though their duties leave them little time to see each other in France. "In general, we share our living space and our kitchen, even if our places of worship are separate," explains the Muslim chaplain.
From his office at the École Militaire, he also serves other units in the Île-de-France region, including the Paris fire brigade. Kamel Driouech joined the army in 2009 after starting his career as a manager in the automotive industry and a number of commitments in youth education. He is one of the oldest chaplains in his faith, whose AUMC is Nadir Mehidi.
Attentive to the needs of atheists and members of other religions, the AUMs also respect the individual sensitivities of their own denominations. This is particularly the case for Protestantism, which brings together many churches (Reformed, Lutheran, Evangelical, etc.), 19 of which are represented in the armed forces. "Most of the time, personnel don't even ask me which church I belong to", says Nelly Butel, chaplain to the Protestant church (headed by Étienne Waechter) at the École Militaire, and herself a Baptist:
"When I prepare a religious celebration, I adapt to everyone, I make sure that everyone finds their place," says this former bookseller who has been in the army for eight years.
The Israelite AUM Véronique Dubois welcomes to her office civilians and military personnel representing all branches of her faith (Orthodox, liberal, observant and non-observant, etc.) as well as people of other beliefs. Every month she organises comparative Bible reading sessions with members of the three religions of the Book (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) and has already had lunch in the mess with Saudi officers visiting Paris.
CHAPLAINS TRANSMIT "WEAK SIGNALS" TO COMMANDERS
In addition to the chaplains' religious and human support functions, they also have a role in advising commanders, depending on the circumstances: "Every conceivable subject is dealt with by the army, and comes under the chaplains' mission of advising commanders", explains Antoine de Romanet.
Chaplains can therefore transmit "weak signals", sounding the alarm if they "sense" trouble among the troops. In operations, they therefore need to be "flexible, pragmatic and intelligent", adds the Catholic AUMC, who sums it up in one phrase: "They have to be multi-military, multi-field", just like the other soldiers.
One of the signals that Véronique Dubois was able to pass on to the commanding officer was the cry from the heart of a serviceman returning from Afghanistan, devastated by the lack of recognition from the general public: "Madame, tell them what we have done for the nation! As a woman, the Israelite AUM notes that "male personnel are more forthcoming, perhaps because we don't have the same male-to-male relationship" that is so common in their daily lives.
Nelly Butel is currently preparing the next international Protestant military gathering, which has been held in France every year since 1951. "In the current geopolitical context, international fellowship is important", she stresses.
The Protestant AUM believes that "chaplains of different faiths and with different backgrounds are always on hand to provide soldiers with human, moral and spiritual support". "It is this complementarity between chaplains that is the great strength of our model.
SECULARISM, "AN ESSENTIAL LINK BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC AND RELIGIONS".
To those who are astonished that "French secularism" authorises the State to pay military personnel for a religious function, Antoine de Romanet replies firmly:
"Secularism is only a problem for those who have not studied it in depth. Those who practice it on a daily basis know that it is an essential link between the Republic and religions. With secularism, everyone is recognised and respected in their own right, while respecting the legitimate and precious neutrality of the State. Secularism is a structuring element of freedom of conscience and of our democratic States, and the army is exemplary in this respect.
IHEDN welcomes representatives of religious denominations in its various sessionsThe same goes for other opinion-formers such as journalists, lawyers, community leaders and trade unionists.
