Restore Remembrance Day prayers
Sign on the House of Commons websitePetitioners ask the Minister of National Defence to reverse Military Personnel Instruction 03/26 and restore the freedom to pray at official Canadian Remembrance Day ceremonies.
Why we would sign this petition
- Reversing the instruction would restore the requested freedom for chaplains and personnel to pray at official Remembrance Day ceremonies.
- It would let military chaplains express faith in public ceremonies, which supporters may see as respecting freedom of religion and conscience.
- It would preserve the prayer tradition petitioners associate with Remembrance Day and recognize chaplains’ service to military members and families.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Official ceremonies are attended by people of different faiths and no faith; some may prefer public events not include faith-specific prayer.
- Reversing the instruction could make it harder to balance individual religious expression with the inclusive, non-denominational character some expect of official military events.
- The petition does not explain how prayer and other religious expression would be handled across different ceremonies, so a narrower or more detailed policy could address concerns.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Minister of National Defence Canada has had a longstanding tradition of including prayer in military ceremonies, such as Remembrance Day, where members of all faiths have been invited to reflect and/or pray the way they wish; Despite a unanimous motion passed in the House of Commons on November 8, 2024, affirming Chaplains’ right to pray during such ceremonies, the Department of National Defence under the Liberal government issued Military Personnel Instruction 03/26 in 2026 prohibiting military chaplains and personnel from reciting traditional, faith-specific prayers, mentioning God, or wearing explicit religious symbols during official, mandatory public events; “Military Personnel Instruction 03/26” dishonours the legacy of Chaplains who have served Canadian Forces and their families courageously during peace and war; and The Supreme Court of Canada recognized the right to declare religious beliefs openly without fear of hindrance or reprisal guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms under Section 2(a) Freedom of Religion and Conscience. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of National Defence to reverse the discriminatory religious directive “Military Personnel Instruction 03/26” and reinstate Canada’s tradition of freedom to pray at official Remembrance Day ceremonies.
Government response
No government response is available yet.