Since 2019, Canada’s Quebec province has banned public sector employees in positions of authority — including teachers, police officers, judges, and crown prosecutors — from wearing visible religious symbols, which includes hijabs, turbans, yarmulkes, and Christian crosses.

Now, Canada has gone a step farther. Members of the military, particularly chaplains, throughout all of Canada are forbidden from mentioning the word "God" or other religious words at mandatory military public events, such as graduation parades, ribbon-cuttings, ship commissionings, and Remembrance Day ceremonies.

In Canada, chaplains are now banned from publicly talking about God. The directive isn't limited just to chaplains: All Canadian Armed Forces members, including volunteers, students, casual workers, and contractors, may not use religious language in public remarks.

The new instructions, issued on July 29, 2026, to all Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Military Personnel, states that "the CAF has a duty of religious neutrality." According to the directive, at these mandatory public events, chaplains may offer "inclusive" spiritual reflections but may not use religious language:

… spiritual reflections are inclusive public addresses to a group of individuals that nurture resilience by fostering meaning, purpose, and spiritual well-being, especially within a culture of care and service.

"Spiritual reflections" are not to be confused with anything religious, however:

Spiritual reflections do not use religious specific language, including references to God, etc. They reflect upon lessons learned, beliefs, values, and experiences to inspire gratitude, remembrance, hope, and integrity. These principles are grounded in a respect for freedom of conscience and religious expression, while upholding the dignity and value of diverse spiritual traditions.

Funerals are not considered public military ceremonies according to the new policy, and chaplains may still use religious language at funerals if the family wishes, as well as at other private or family-led events. Chaplains are allowed to use religious language in voluntary worship services and private counseling, and they may wear religious items.

Catholic chaplains have publicly criticized the policy to various news media. Bishop Scott McCaig, who leads the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate of Canada, published a statement criticizing the new policy.

"This instruction is based on a false premise: simply because some belief systems do not profess the existence of God, or some other divine source, does not make them neutral. Atheistic systems of belief require as much assent of intellect and will (faith) as any theistic system of belief. They too profess particular beliefs about God (existence or non existence, nature, etc.), the world and its existence, values, as well as meaning and purpose. That is why Secular Humanists rightly have chaplains in the Canadian Armed Forces. They are one of many ‘Spiritual Faith Traditions,’ and are recognized as such by the government.

There is no such thing as reflections on meaning, purpose and spiritual well being without philosophical
and religious presuppositions. It is not the place of the government to adjudicate between
them. That is the opposite of state neutrality," he wrote.

He urged changing the policy:

The instruction is neither neutral nor inclusive.

I am saddened that the responsible military and political authorities consistently refused to have a substantive dialogue with concerned religious and spiritual leaders …

As the Military Ordinariate studies the matter, I urge prayers for a fair and reasonable resolution of this issue. Please pray for our political and military leaders, for reconsideration of this instruction, and for openness to a truly inclusive dialogue.