Chaplain Traditionally , a chaplain is a minister , such as a priest , pastor , rabbi , imam or lay representative of a religious tradition , attached to a secular institution such as a hospital , prison , military unit , police department , university , or private chapel . Though originally the word " chaplain " referred to representatives of the Christian faith , it is now also applied to people of other religions or philosophical traditions – such as in the case of the humanist chaplains serving with military forces in the Netherlands , Belgium and Canada . In recent times , many lay people have received professional training in chaplaincy and are now appointed as chaplains in schools , hospitals , universities , prisons and elsewhere to work alongside , or instead of , official members of the clergy . The concept of ' generic ' and / or ' multifaith ' chaplaincy is also gaining increasing support , particularly within healthcare and educational settings . Types of chaplains . Military . A chaplain provides pastoral ( spiritual ) and emotional support for service personnel , including the conduct of religious services at sea , on bases or in the field . Military chaplains have a long history ; the first English military - oriented chaplains , for instance , were priests on board proto - naval vessels during the 8th century . Land based chaplains appeared during the reign of King Edward I . The current form of military chaplain dates from the era of the First World War . Chaplains are nominated , appointed , or commissioned in different ways in different countries . A military chaplain can be an army - trained soldier with additional theological training or an ordained person nominated to the army by religious authorities . In the United Kingdom the Ministry of Defence employs chaplains but their authority comes from their sending church . Royal Navy chaplains undertake a 16 week bespoke induction and training course including a short course at Britannia Royal Naval College and specialist fleet time at sea alongside a more experienced chaplain . Naval chaplains called to service with the Royal Marines undertake a grueling five month long Commando Course and , if successful , wear the commandos ' Green Beret . British Army chaplains undertake seven weeks training at the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre Amport House and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst . Royal Air Force chaplains must complete a 12 week Specialist Entrant course at the RAF College Cranwell followed by a Chaplains ' Induction Course at the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre Amport House of a further two weeks . The United States Navy will often give chaplain training to cadets seeking a theological route in the military . Additionally , they are granted instant employment as a Navy chaplain once ordained . Additionally , in the United States military , chaplains must be endorsed by their religious affiliation in order to serve in any facet of the military . In some cases , like that of the U . S . Navy , a Religious Program Specialist may be appointed to help alleviate some of the duties bestowed upon Naval chaplains . Military chaplains are normally accorded officer status , although Sierra Leone had a Naval Lance Corporal chaplain in 2001 . In most navies , their badges and insignia do not differentiate their levels of responsibility and status . By contrast , in Air Forces and Armies , they typically carry ranks and are differentiated by crosses or other equivalent religious insignia . However , United States military chaplains in every branch carry both rank and Chaplain Corps insignia . Though the Geneva Conventions does not state whether chaplains may bear arms , they specify ( Protocol I , 8 June 1977 , Art 43 . 2 ) that chaplains are noncombatants . In recent times both the UK and US have required chaplains , but not medical personnel , to be unarmed . Other nations , notably Norway , Denmark and Sweden , make it an issue of individual conscience . Captured chaplains are not considered Prisoners of War ( Third Convention , 12 August 1949 , Chapter IV Art 33 ) and must be returned to their home nation unless retained to minister to prisoners of war . Inevitably , a significant number of serving chaplains have died in action . The U . S . Army and Marines lost 100 chaplains killed in action during WWII : a casualty rate greater " than any other branch of the services except the infantry and the Army Air Corps " ( Crosby , 1994 , pxxiii ) . Many have been decorated for bravery in action ( five have won Britain ' s highest award for gallantry , the Victoria Cross ) . The Chaplain ' s Medal for Heroism is a special U . S . military decoration given to military chaplains who have been killed in the line of duty , although it has to date only been awarded to the famous Four Chaplains , all of whom died in the USAT " Dorchester " sinking in 1943 after giving up their lifejackets to others . In addition to these , five other U . S . chaplains have been awarded the Medal of Honor : Chaplain ( LCDR ) Joseph T . O ' Callahan , USN ( World War II ) ; Chaplain ( CPT ) Emil Kapaun , USA ( Posthumous , Korean War ) ; Chaplain ( LT ) Vincent Capodanno , USN ( Posthumous , Vietnam War ) ; Chaplain ( MAJ ) Charles J . Watters , USA ( Posthumous , Vietnam War ) ; and Chaplain ( CPT ) Angelo J . Liteky , USA ( Vietnam ) . ( Later in life , Liteky changed his name to Charles , left the Catholic priesthood , became an anti - war activist , and renounced his Medal of Honor ) . Chaplain Fellowship Ministries Military Chaplains are nondenominational chaplains . To be considered for appointment to serve as a military chaplain , candidates must first be ordained and have an ecclesiastical endorsement by a valid religious faith group recognized by the Department of Defense . Candidates must meet all DOD requirements . http : / / chaplain - military . org . Chaplain Fellowship had Military Chaplains serving in Iraq and now serving in Afghanistan . The United States European Command has co - sponsored an annual International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference every year since 1991 . At times , the existence of military chaplains has been challenged in countries that have a separation of Church and State . Prison . The State has the twofold responsibility about crime and punishment : to discourage behavior that is harmful to human rights and the fundamental norms of civil life , and to repair , through the penal system , the disorder created by criminal activity . Judicial and penal institutions play a fundamental role in protecting citizens and safeguarding the common good . By their very nature these institutions must contribute to the rehabilitation of offenders . So , prisons are a reality of any society . But , quite often , prison causes more problems than it solves . Vance Drum wrote and presented a paper at the American Correctional Association on the nature of the professional prison Generally speaking , prisoners are often persons excluded , aborted from society . Prisoners easily can be overwhelmed by feelings of isolation , shame and rejection that threaten to shatter their hopes and aspirations for the future . Rabbi Philip R . Alstat ( 1891 – 1976 ) , who — in addition to work as a chaplain in New York hospitals and senior citizen facilities — served for three decades as the Jewish chaplain for " The Tombs " , the Manhattan Detention Facility , once described his service as follows : " My goals are the same as those of the prison authorities - - to make better human beings . The only difference is that their means are discipline , security , and iron bars . Mine are the spiritual ministrations that operate with the mind and the heart . " Parliamentary . Some nations , including the United States , have chaplains appointed to work with parliamentary bodies , such as the Chaplain of the United States Senate , and the Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives . In addition to opening proceedings with prayer , these chaplains provide pastoral counseling to congressional members , their staffs , and their families ; coordinate the scheduling of guest chaplains , who offer opening prayers ; arrange and sometimes conduct marriages , memorial services , and funeral services for congress , staff , and their families ; and conduct or coordinate religious services , study groups , prayer meetings , holiday programs , and religious education programs , as well . Law enforcement . Law enforcement chaplains serve in local , county , state and federal agencies and provide a variety of services within the law enforcement community . They should not be confused with prison chaplains , whose primary ministry is to those who are incarcerated either awaiting trial or after conviction . The role of the law enforcement chaplain deals primarily with law enforcement personnel and agencies . The chaplain responds to these unique needs and challenges with religious guidance , reassuring and trustworthy presence , resources and counseling services . The law enforcement chaplain offers support to law enforcement officers , administrators , support staff , victims and their families , and occasionally even the families of accused or convicted offenders . Fire departments . Chaplains working with fire departments provide the same kind of support to firefighters as do chaplains working with law enforcement , and sometimes face even greater danger , working with the wounded in often very dangerous surroundings . At the scene of the September 11 attacks on New York ' s World Trade Center , for example , Franciscan friar and New York City Fire Department Chaplain Fr . Mychal F . Judge lost his life to flying debris from the South Tower when he re - entered the North Tower lobby of the World Trade Center , shortly after administering last rites to a wounded firefighter . Healthcare . Many hospitals , nursing homes , assisted living facilities , and hospices employ chaplains to assist with the pastoral and emotional needs of patients , families and staff . Chaplains are often employed at residential care facilities for the elderly ( RCFE ) and skilled nursing facilities ( SNF ) as well . In the United States , health care chaplains who are board certified have completed a minimum of four units of Clinical Pastoral Education training through the The American Association of Pastoral Counselors , Association for Clinical Pastoral Education , Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association , or The College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy and may be certified by one of the following organizations : The American Association of Pastoral Counselors , The Association of Professional Chaplains , The National Association of Catholic Chaplains , The National Association of Jewish Chaplains , or The College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy . Certification typically requires a Masters of Divinity degree ( or its equivalent ) , faith group ordination or commissioning , faith group endorsement , and four units ( 1600 hours ) of Clinical Pastoral Education ( the Military Chaplains Association of the United States of America does require more , but they are a dod2088 501c - 3 military support group founded in 1954 by Military Chaplains ) . In Canada , Health Care Chaplains may be certified by the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care . In England , Health Care Chaplains are employed by their local NHS Trust or by charities associated with hospice . The majority work part - time , combining their role with another post , either in a local Church or another chaplaincy . The professional body in England is the College of Health Care Chaplains . In Scotland and Northern Ireland , the bodies are the Scottish Association of Chaplains in Healthcare ( SACH ) and the Northern Ireland Healthcare Chaplains Association . Membership of the College of Health Care Chaplains is not compulsory but may be advantageous as it carries with it membership of a Trade Union . Chaplains working in a palliative care setting may also choose to join the Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Chaplains . Corporate . Some businesses , large or small , employ chaplains for their staff and / or clientele . According to " The Economist " ( August 25 , 2007 , p64 ) there are 4 , 000 corporate chaplains in the U . S . alone , with the majority being employees of specialist chaplaincy companies such as Marketplace Chaplains USA or Corporate Chaplains of America . According to the Marketplace Chaplains USA , turnover at Taco Bell outlets in central Texas dropped by a third after they started employing chaplains . Workplace Chaplain organizations , such as Marketplace Chaplains Europe and Capellania Empresarial in Paraguay have been established outside the US . Sports . A sports chaplain provides pastoral care for the sports person and the broader sports community including the coach , administrator s and their families . Chaplains to sports communities have existed since the middle of the 20th century and have significantly grown in the past 20 years . The United States , United Kingdom and Australia have well established Christian sports chaplaincy ministries . Sports Chaplains consist of people from many different walks of life . Most commonly , the chaplains are ministers or full - time Christian workers but occasionally , chaplaincy work is done without charge or any financial remuneration . Often , sports chaplains to a particular sport are former participants of that sport . This helps the chaplain to not only provide spiritual support and guidance to a player , but gives them the ability to empathize and relate to some of the challenges facing the participant with whom they are ministering . Domestic . A domestic chaplain was a chaplain attached to a noble household in order to grant the family a degree of self - sufficiency in religion . The chaplain was freed from any obligation to reside in a particular place so could travel with the family , internationally if necessary , and minister to their spiritual needs . Further , the family could appoint a chaplain who reflected their own doctrinal views . Domestic chaplains performed family christenings , funerals and weddings and were able to conduct services in the family ' s private chapel , excusing the nobility from attending public worship . In feudal times most laymen , and for centuries even most noblemen , were poorly educated and the chaplain would also be an important source of scholarship in the household , tutoring children and providing counsel to the family on matters broader than religion . Before the advent of the legal profession , modern bureaucracy and civil service , the literate clergy were often employed as secretarial staff , as in a . Hence the term " clerk " , derived from Latin " clericus " ( clergyman ) . This made them very influential in temporal affairs . There was also a moral impact since they heard the confessions of the elite . The domestic chaplain was an important part of the life of the peerage in England from the reign of Henry VIII to the middle of the 19th century . Up until 1840 , Anglican domestic chaplains were regulated by law and enjoyed the substantial financial advantage of being able to purchase a license to hold two benefice s simultaneously while residing in neither . Many monarchies and major noble houses had , or still have , several domestic or private chaplains as part of their Ecclesiastical Household , either following them or attached to a castle or other residence . Queen Elizabeth II has 36 Anglican chaplains , in addition to chaplains extraordinary and honorary chaplains appointed to minister to her . Castles with attached chaplains generally had at least one Chapel Royal , sometimes as significant as a cathedral . A modern example is St George ' s Chapel , Windsor Castle , also the home of the Order of the Garter . Education . Chaplains are appointed by many educational institutions , including colleges and universities , sometimes working directly for the institution , and sometimes as representatives of separate organizations that specifically work to support students , such as Hillel College Campus Ministry for Jews , and Newman House , College Campus Ministry , for Catholics . The National Association of College and University Chaplains works to support the efforts of many of these chaplains , helping chaplains minister to the individual faith of students , faculty , and staff , while promoting interreligious understanding . Chaplains often also oversee programs on campus that foster spiritual , ethical , religious , and political and cultural exchange , and the promotion of service . Each day communities respond to numerous disasters or emergencies . Most often , these incidents are managed effectively at the local level . However , there are some incidents that may require a collaborative approach that includes personnel from : 1 . Multiple jurisdictions , 2 . A combination of specialties or disciplines , 3 . Several levels of government , 4 . Non - governmental organizations , and 5 . The private sector . Chaplain Fellowship Disaster Response certifies first responder chaplain for crisis and disaster response . http : / / www . chaplainemergencyresponse . org Colonial . A colonial chaplain was appointed to a colony . The term is commonly used to refer to the chaplain appointed as a non - military chaplain to one of the Crown Colonies from the late 18th century or early 19th century . Richard Johnson ( 1756 - 1827 ) was the first colonial chaplain appointed to the new prison colony at New South Wales in 1786 . Other . There are also animal chaplains , and chaplains to emergency services agencies , private clubs , television or radio stations , groups such as Boys and Girls Brigade companies and Scout troops , airports , cruise ships , nightclubs , private companies , and theaters . The term can also refer to priests attached to Roman Catholic convents . There is also the position of Chaplain of His Holiness , a title granted by the Pope to certain priests who become part of the Papal Household and work with the Papal Chapel . Prior to 1968 they were called Supernumerary Privy Chamberlains . Music . Many musical bands ( especially Christian bands ) bring a chaplain with them while they are on tour to conduct services if they are not around a church at the moment . There can also be chaplains who minister concert - goers at music festival s . In popular culture . Father Francis Duffy , famed chaplain of the U . S . 69th Infantry Regiment in World War I , was a central character portrayed by Pat O ' Brien in the 1940 Warner Brothers movie " The Fighting 69th " . Father Barry was a waterfront priest played by Karl Malden , who was shamed into fomenting violence against the union / mob in the classic movie " On the Waterfront " , directed by Elia Kazan and starring Marlon Brando , Rod Steiger , and Eva Marie Saint . Chaplains have appeared as characters in several works of fiction about historical and imagined militaries . Father Mulcahy , a character in the " M * A * S * H " novels , film , and TV series , is a well known fictional chaplain . In addition , chaplains have been featured in mass media channels , such as the popular comic strip " Doonesbury " , authored by Pulitzer Prize – winning author Garry Trudeau . The Rev . Scot Sloan is a character in Doonesbury inspired by real people : Stanford ' s Dean for Religious Life , Scotty McLennan , along with his mentor , former Yale chaplain William Sloane Coffin . The chaplain is also a key figure in Albert Camus ' novel " L ' Etranger " ( " The Stranger " , sometimes called " The Outsider " ) . The profession of military chaplaincy is reflected in several major works of world literature , such as in the Herman Melville novella " Billy Budd " , Jaroslav Hasek ' s novel " The Good Soldier Švejk " , and Joseph Heller ' s novel " Catch - 22 " . Jewish chaplains have been featured as main characters in books such as Herbert Tarr ' s " The Conversion of Chaplain Cohen " ( which also includes an excellent portrayal of the U . S . Air Force Chaplain School experience ) , and Chaim Potok ' s " The Book of Lights " . In the brutal dystopian future of " Warhammer 40 , 000 " , chaplains are Space Marine warrior priests . They are typically the most pious and zealous warriors in a Space Marine chapter and always fight at the forefront of an engagement . Chaplains serve as combat soldiers in the Mobile Infantry from Robert A . Heinlein ' s " Starship Troopers " . The life of Dr . Lonnie Pepper , a fictional corporate chaplain , is detailed in a novel written by Mark Cress called " The Third Awakening " . In the television series " V " , one of the main characters , Father Jack , is mentioned as having served as a military chaplain before the series .