The Chaplain Corps: A Historical Perspective

The nexus between the military and religion is one that eludes and puzzles many. Moreover, no office is said to be more peculiar than that of Military Chaplain. Indeed, it is difficult for many to fathom the role that chaplains play and the services they render to an institution often construed by some as one largely concerned with the management of organized violence. On one hand, chaplains are military trained and wear military uniform. But on the other hand, they are non-combatants and do not carry weapons in war. Like other soldiers, chaplains are answerable to their commanders both in war and peacetime. However, as ordained representatives of a religious tradition, they are accountable above all to the Almighty. Therefore, to say that there exists a degree of confusion as to what the service Chaplain offers to the Military Machine, and as to what his role is in it, is probably what Annesley in 1982 described as the understatement of the year.

Notwithstanding, it can be safely argued that as long as armies have existed, military chaplains have served alongside soldiers. The word chaplain is derived from 'cappa', the Latin word for cloak. According to Legend, during the time of the Christ, a soldier, Saint Martin of Tours, returning home from a long journey unknowing gave Christ, disguised as a cold and starving beggar, part of his cloak. Following several wondrous occurrences that followed the incident, Saint Martin's cape became a sacred relic and a sign of the Lord's approval of all things military. Hence, during the Middle Ages, Saint Martin's cloak, once one of the Frankish kings' most treasured possessions, was carried everywhere the king went and the soldiers who guarded the cloak were called Cappellanu which became the name for all priests who served in the military. The French translation of Cappellanu is Chapelains, from which the English word chaplain is derived.

Even before the Christ, there are numerous stories of armies such as the Israelites being accompanied into battle by their priests. Likewise, Roman Legions were equally escorted by their pagan clerics during their military exploits and conquests. Further, during the medieval period in Europe, senior clergymen often led troops into battle. There is also the legacy of armed priest of the antiquity and Middle Ages who unlike conventional chaplains took up arms and fought as combatants. An example are the Aztecs who had a vanguard of warrior priests who carried deity banners and made sacrifices on the battlefield. However, it was during the First and Second World Wars that the roles of the Chaplain Corps became more pronounced and diffused. In both Wars, the chaplain was expected to lead before and after fighting corps, offer Holy Communion, visit the sick, collect and bury the dead, pastorally care for the forces' personnel regardless of rank, and teach and advise the chain of command on pastoral, community welfare, as well as moral and ethical issues such as temperance and sexual health. During WWI particularly, stigma was attached to both psychiatric illness and cowardice. As such, a chaplain who visited the front line equally provided an opportunity for soldiers to speak about distressing thoughts or feelings without being labelled mad or "windy". Since the Wars, the roles of chaplain have remained quite varied. Chaplains minister to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. Military chaplain normally represent a religion or faith group but work with military personnel of all faiths and none.

In the Zambia Army, the Chaplain Corps dates back to British chaplains who served in the Army prior to Zambianization in the early 1970s. After the expatriate chaplains left, the corps remained dormant until 25 March 1990, when the late Major (Reverend) Green NGWIRA (2827) (Rtd), a Baptist Minister, became the first Zambian Army chaplain, under Administration Branch.

Later on 21 November 2008, the chaplain department became a Directorate with the first Director being Col (Rev) J M PHIRI. Since then, the Chaplain Corps in the Zambia Army has continued to expand both in size and mandate, with chaplains being deployed on both local and international operations and coordinating both State and International functions. In addition, in March 2019, the Army trained its first ever ordained Catholic Priest, Captain (Father) Lazarous Spuni MBEWE who was ordained as a priest in 2008 by Reverend Bishop George Zumaine Lungu. Zambia being a Christian Nation, there is no doubt that the chaplain corps in the Army will continue to grow and evolve reflecting both changes in the Army and the society. Nevertheless, as warriors with unique callings, chaplains are and will remain indispensable both to the Army and the country at large.