Archbishop Broglio Welcomes U.S. Navy Policy Change Allowing Attendance at Indoor Religious Services

Archbishop Broglio Welcomes U.S. Navy Policy Change Allowing Attendance at Indoor Religious Services   Expresses gratitude to Department of Navy and all who contributed to "timely revision"   WASHINGTON, DC – His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, has issued the following statement on the U.S. Navy’s policy revision allowing attendance at indoor religious services during the COVID-19 pandemic: “The revision of the U.S. Navy’s orders to allow for the participation by Navy personnel in indoor religious services, provided that the appropriate guidelines are met, is most welcome.  The change recognizes that worship is a part of the exercise of religious liberty and helps to ensure the readiness of the forces who defend us. “It is clear that the Catholic Church has taken to heart the CDC measures and organized the celebration of the sacraments in ways that ensure the safety of participants, good order, and the dignity of the rites.  I am sure that other religious groups will do the same. "I am grateful to the Department of the Navy and everyone else who contributed to this timely revision.”

-30- The AMS was established as an independent archdiocese by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1985 as the only Catholic jurisdiction responsible for endorsing and granting faculties for priests to serve as chaplains in the U.S. military and VA Medical Centers. AMS-endorsed priests serve at more than 220 U.S. military installations in 29 countries, making the AMS the nation's only global archdiocese. AMS-endorsed chaplains also serve at 153 VA Medical Centers throughout the U.S. The AMS service population also includes American Catholic civilians working for the federal government in 134 countries, but currently, due to limited resources, the AMS cannot adequately serve this population. Worldwide, an estimated 1.8 million Catholics depend on the AMS to meet their spiritual and sacramental needs. For more information on the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, visit milarch.org, the only official website for Catholics in the U.S. Military. ​​​​For information on the Cause of Father Vincent R. Capodanno, M.M., visit capodannoguild.org.