The Military and the Catholic Faith: Tradition

This article is the second in a series called, “The U.S. Military and the Catholic Faith: A Comparison”, which examines the comparisons between the U.S. Army and Catholicism. Throughout my articles, I use the word ‘military’ loosely. I focus on the Army because I am a soldier and grew up through the ranks of the enlisted side. In fact, when I get to Heaven Saint Peter’s going to say, “How’d you earn your living boy?” and I’m going to say… “Army Cadence” and reference Matt 16:19:

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

Tradition 

Both the Church and military have their own set of traditions and customs. Some traditions are only customs and can be changed and others must remain the way they are. In the Church, lower case “t” traditions and customs can be changed but capital “T” Traditions cannot because they are part of our core faith.

The military has traditions like Drill and Ceremony (e.g. Pass and Review). Marching develops a simple structure of working together and staying in sync with one another. As in basic training, when soldiers march and sound off (saying cadence), they feel motivated and empowered, being part of a unified force or unit moving together as one. From an outside view, the formation looks sharp, being in-step and disciplined. When in a ceremony, the passing element will acknowledge the officials by turning their heads towards them.  In the Church, selected personnel or families walk in a unit toward the altar to offer gifts or just even to approach the altar and then bow or kneel out of respect for the Lord.

Custom

We have other customs in the military; the salute, one of the oldest customs, is an example. Similarly, in the Church we bow and/or genuflect, which gives reverence to the Lord. Saluting in the military shows respect to a higher rank, mainly towards officers, as well as NCO’s (if the President of a board), and even the American Flag. When a soldier shows reverence for a person or a flag, it is considered a custom. But when this type of custom is extended toward the Lord, it is sometimes questioned by those outside of the Church. Sometimes both soldiers and Catholics are ridiculed for their actions which are simply meant to be signs of respect. There is really no difference between the two except that one custom is giving respect to a much greater power, God!

Formations

Examples in the military like Accountability Formations, Dining-In’s, and Promotion and Award Ceremonies can be seen as rituals which have the same effect as the Mass: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Both involve a body of people gathering together to hear and see something of importance. Now, of course, in the military it may not be completely by choice, but the church-goers volunteer to come, to listen, and to become closer with God. Even with the military, you volunteered for the service, so in hindsight you did volunteer to be present at these gatherings.

Uniforms are something that have been seen as items of tradition in both realms. The military wants to have a uniform appearance as well as the best, most practical uniform, adaptable to all types of environments involved with one’s duties. The Church, as well as some other denominations, have robes or other various kinds of “uniforms”. The Church council wanted the clergy of the Church to wear a distinctive attire to attract the public eye. There are various types of attire to wear. The most common is the Collarino and the Cassock. The Collarino resembles a black, long-sleeve dress shirt with a tabbed collar. There is usually a white insert made of plastic or cloth inserted in the front of the neck. The Cassock is more of a long-sleeved, floor-length garment without a hood. Based on the position or level, the color of the vestment may change according to code, with specific colors for a priest (black), monsignors (black and fuchsia), bishops (black with red), cardinals (black with scarlet) and the Pope (all white).

In addition to the military uniform, there are objects that we wear that protect us from harm. In the Army these items include the ACH (Army Combat Helmet), the IOTV (Improved Outer Tactical Vest) which is similar to the old flack vest,  eye protection, ear protection, knee pads, elbow pads, and of course your assigned weapon(s). This reminds me of a passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in chapter 6, the armor of God:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” (Eph. 6:10-18, RSVCE)

The armor of both means, the armor of God and the military protection gear, reminds me of another passage in Matthew which gives me a spark of courage:

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28, RSVCE)

Creeds/Oaths/Prayers

When dealing with creeds and oaths, one must remember that they are something people live by and believe in, and thus are to be taken seriously. When you are first sworn into the military under either the enlistment or officer oath, both have “…so help me God” in the oaths. With these oaths, you are bound by the UCMJ. This means that, when taking the oaths to join the American military, we are bound by a greater power. As time continues and you become a service member, like an Army soldier, you learn the U.S. Soldier’s Creed, which soldiers learn to live by:

• I am an American Soldier.
• I am a Warrior and a member of a team.
• I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.
• I will always place the mission first.
• I will never accept defeat.
• I will never quit.
• I will never leave a fallen comrade.
• I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.
• I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
• I am an expert and I am a professional.
• I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
• I am a guardian of the American way of life.
• I am an American Soldier.

After that you could become an Army NCO (non-commissioned officer), an officer with highly valued creeds. Below is the Creed of the Non-commissioned Officer:

No one is more professional than I. I am a Non-commissioned Officer, a leader of Soldiers. As a Non-commissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as “The Backbone of the Army.” I am proud of the Corps of Non-commissioned Officers, and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the military service, and my country; regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety.

Competence is my watch-word. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind: The accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my Soldiers. I will strive to remain technically and tactically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Non-commissioned Officer, I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All Soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my Soldiers, and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my Soldiers, and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.

Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my Soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Non-commissioned Officers, leaders!

Though there are other variations of creeds in the military (i.e. Marines, Air-Force and Navy), I wanted to highlight the two Army creeds that I grew up with and lived for personally. Likewise, the values of the Church, essential to her history and which reflect the core of our faith and how we profess it, are expressed in the Nicene Creed:

I believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten Son of God,

born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God…..

Lifelong Impact

You can see how oaths and creeds can affect someone if they truly believe in them. Of course, beliefs can come and go, but the law of regulations still stands, much like the UCMJ. This can be seen in the sacraments of Holy Orders, for the religious ordained, and Confirmation, for all the faithful, through which the Holy Spirit is instilled, imparting knowledge and gifts. Though confirmed, people continue to have ‘free-will’, can decide to do what they wish. But I like to see Confirmation as similar to a soldier who continues to renew his contract. Regardless of whether or not he likes it, he truly believe it is the right option for him. Likewise, participation at Mass and prayer also expresses, renews, maintains, and advances the contract between a person and God, or is meant to, even when the contract is difficult to keep.