Government extends contracting period for military chaplains
Kyiv • UNN
The government has increased the contract period for military chaplains from three to six months. The procedure for issuing mandates and informing about the dismissal of chaplains has also been changed.
Candidates for military chaplains were given more time to sign a contract - six months instead of three. Also, the procedure for informing about the dismissal of chaplains and the transfer of copies of mandates was changed. This is reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense, according to UNN.
The government has adopted amendments to the Regulation on the procedure for issuing a mandate for the right to carry out military chaplaincy activities, approved by Resolution N859 of 02.08.2022. The relevant draft resolution was developed by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine at the request of the Interfaith Council on Military Chaplaincy under the Ministry of Defense,
Main innovations:
- Copies of the mandates will now be issued directly by the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience.
- When dismissing chaplains, the military must inform both the State Service for Ethnic Policy and the central executive authorities responsible for military formations.
- The period for signing a contract after receiving a mandate was extended from three to six months.
According to Deputy Defense Minister Serhiy Melnyk, these changes are aimed at facilitating procedures and supporting the military in need of spiritual assistance.
These changes are not just about improving procedures, but about taking care of our military, who defend Ukraine every day,
Major Diana Kopanytsia, head of the Defense Ministry's Humanitarian Support Department, noted that this decision will help attract more motivated people to work as military chaplains.
