Some military religious services in jeopardy because of government shutdown
By on October 03, 2013
WASHINGTON -- Weekend religious services at some military facilities are in jeopardy because non-active duty chaplains are on furlough, thanks to the partial government shutdown.
Unless there is last-minute resolution of the bitter partisan dispute over a temporary spending bill to reopen shuttered government offices, services normally conducted by non-active-duty ministers will be canceled.
Active-duty ministers remain on duty, but contract and non-active-duty ministers are among the 800,000 federal employees furloughed by the partial government shutdown that began Tuesday.
"If a Catholic family has a baptism scheduled at the base chapel at Langley AFB this weekend, unless they can locate a priest who is not a GS (non-active duty minister) or contract priest, they should consider it canceled," wrote John Schlageter, general counsel for the Archdiocese for the Military Services. "Likewise, a Marine who attends Sunday Mass at the Quantico Chapel will have to go elsewhere this weekend."
Schlageter said there's a big shortage of Catholic chaplains, which has led the government to hire priests with Department of Defense contracts. He said there are 234 contract priests and non-active duty priests who are not able to work until the furlough is lifted.
"With the government shutdown, (non-active duty ministers) and contract priests who minister to Catholics on military bases worldwide are not permitted to work -- not even to volunteer," Schlageter said.
Unless there is last-minute resolution of the bitter partisan dispute over a temporary spending bill to reopen shuttered government offices, services normally conducted by non-active-duty ministers will be canceled.
Active-duty ministers remain on duty, but contract and non-active-duty ministers are among the 800,000 federal employees furloughed by the partial government shutdown that began Tuesday.
"If a Catholic family has a baptism scheduled at the base chapel at Langley AFB this weekend, unless they can locate a priest who is not a GS (non-active duty minister) or contract priest, they should consider it canceled," wrote John Schlageter, general counsel for the Archdiocese for the Military Services. "Likewise, a Marine who attends Sunday Mass at the Quantico Chapel will have to go elsewhere this weekend."
Schlageter said there's a big shortage of Catholic chaplains, which has led the government to hire priests with Department of Defense contracts. He said there are 234 contract priests and non-active duty priests who are not able to work until the furlough is lifted.
"With the government shutdown, (non-active duty ministers) and contract priests who minister to Catholics on military bases worldwide are not permitted to work -- not even to volunteer," Schlageter said.
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