The relevant proposal has already been submitted to the Office of the President
The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations has initiated the establishment of October 12 as an official state holiday — Military Chaplain Day. The initiative has already been approved by the government and is currently under review by the head of state. This was reported by Ukrinform, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Andriy Kovaliov, an officer from the Media Interaction Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s Public Relations Directorate, spoke about the plans to officially approve the commemorative date. He expressed hope that the corresponding presidential decree could be signed within the current year.
Initiative Coordination
As noted by Colonel Oleksandr Vovkotecha, head of the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the project is the result of cooperation between various religious associations and specialized departments across different military branches. Over the past year, the proposal received necessary endorsements from the Inter-Confessional Council for Military-Patriotic Education of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Currently, all documents are at the final stage of processing at the Office of the President. The military emphasizes that establishing such a holiday is important for the institutional development of spiritual care within the armed forces.
Historical Context
Although the official formation of the chaplaincy service in the army began in 2021, actual pastoral support for military personnel has been ongoing since 2014, since the very beginning of the Russian aggression. The choice of October 12 is based on the church tradition of honoring Saint Martin the Merciful, Bishop of Tours.
In the Christian tradition, he is considered the founder of the military chaplaincy institution and the patron saint of clergy working with the army. Today, modern combat conditions significantly affect the specifics of chaplain work, expanding the scope of their tasks and responsibilities in the area of operations.
Photo: Ukrinform
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