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Military chaplains 'could be sacked for opposing gay marriage', says former minister
MILITARY chaplains could face the sack for voicing opposition to same-sex marriage in the pulpit, a former defence minister claims.
The Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, was last night seeking legal advice after the warning in a letter from Sir Gerald Howarth.
Sir Gerald, who left the Ministry of Defence in the government reshuffle in September, warned that the planned change in the law could make the position of some chaplains who disagree with the change untenable.
He claimed that they could even find themselves facing disciplinary action for voicing reservations about the redefinition of marriage while speaking in other churches.
Although ordained by churches, military chaplains are employees of the armed forces.
His concerns come after a legal opinion for the Coalition For Marriage campaign by the human rights barrister Aidan O’Neill questioned the position of hospital chaplains.
The lawyer concluded that they could be found to be breaking NHS diversity policies if they preached against same-sex marriage, even in other churches.
Recent case law suggests that the trust would then have a “high chance” of successfully defending the dismissal against a legal challenge, he said.
In his letter, Sir Gerald adapted the example to apply to an Army chaplain who was also a Church of England priest.
“The Chaplain in his/her role as an Anglican Minister conducts a wedding service and preaches a mainstream Christian view that marriage is the union of one man to one woman,” he wrote.
“A member of the congregation disagrees with the chaplain’s view and decides to report him/her to their superiors, because they believe it is contrary to Labour’s 2010 Equality Act.
“Mr O’Neill concludes that under these circumstances, if the law is changed as proposed, the Chaplain could be disciplined or dismissed.”
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence confirmed that Mr Hammond had received the letter and was “seeking advice”.
Colin Hart, director of the Coalition for Marriage, said: “We have consistently warned that ripping up the centuries-old definition of marriage is a poorly thought out policy that will have many serious consequences.
“These plans are profoundly undemocratic and with the Human Rights Act and equality laws create the perfect storm that will mean brave military chaplain’s face being disciplined, or sacked for believing that marriage should be between one man and one woman.”