Defence minister apologises for Catholic military priests
Defence minister apologises for Catholic military priests who broke confession confidentiality to out gay and lesbian soldiers to military bosses
- Catholic chaplains in the military broke confession rules to ‘out’ gay personnel
- The incidents, also involving CoE priests, reported to have happened in the 90s
- Campaigners say the confessions could have led to dismissals and humiliation
A defence minister has apologised after it emerged Catholic chaplains in the armed forces ‘outed’ gay personnel to military bosses in the 1990s.
Campaigners say the priests broke the confidentiality of confession which could have led to dismissals and humiliation for vulnerable serving members.
Private conversations between military personnel and chaplains from the Church of England were also relayed to authorities, it emerged, prompting an apology from MP Johnny Mercer.
Campaigners say the priests broke the confidentiality of confession which could have led to dismissals and humiliation for personnel Victory Building at HM Naval Base illuminated with rainbow colours to mark 20 years since lifting of LGB military ban, in Portsmouth
‘Our policy regarding LGB members in the military was unacceptable then, and as a defence minister, I personally apologise for those experiences.’
‘Pastoral encounters between service chaplains and personnel should be strictly confidential,’ The Times reported.
His apology came after campaigners revealed their harrowing experiences ahead of the anniversary of the lifting of the ban on homosexuals in the armed forces 20 years ago this week.
Addressing a group of veterans at an event to mark the anniversary in the Houses of Parliament, Johnny Mercer MP said the ban was wrong.
Addressing a group of veterans at an event to mark the anniversary in the Houses of Parliament, Johnny Mercer MP said the ban was wrong
He said: ‘It was unacceptable then and it is unacceptable now, and as the minster for defence, people and veterans, I wanted to personally apologise to you today for those experiences.’
Mr Mercer, a veteran himself, said he wanted to say sorry because it was the right thing to do.
‘If I am honest, it is hard to conceive – as a more contemporary veteran of our armed forces, the environment too many of you experienced when you were serving,’ he said.
‘Where being a member of the LGBT+ community would have got you detained, followed by a dishonourable discharge from the military.
‘Volunteering to serve is an act of bravery in itself; to volunteer for the chaotic, challenging nature of service life and yet within that community, which so many of us are so proud of, experience discrimination of this sort is unacceptable.’
One activist, Edmund Hall, a former sub-lieutenant, said that in the 1990s the MoD regarded homosexuality as a threat to military effectiveness.
Hall, who brought causes that led to the eventual collapse of the military ban at the European Court of Human Rights in 1999, said that prior to his legal campaign he spoke to around 150 people who were dismissed in various circumstances including having spoken to chaplains about their sexuality.
A new charity, Fighting with Pride, will launch for veterans later this month with the support of NHS England, Royal British Legion and Stonewall
Patrick Lyster-Todd, 64, a former lieutenant-commander said Cardinal Basil Hume, the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales from 1976 until his death in 1999, stepped in during the mid-90s to prevent the breaches of confidence.
Elaine Chambers, 59, a co-founder of the campaign group Rank Outsiders, described how her members described telling the chaplain and military police knocking on their door days letter, insisting it could only have come form the padres.
When Chambers was outed, she told The Times that she was questioned for 15 hours by the Royal Military Police, which went through her personal correspondence to identify three other lesbians, all of whom were discharged.
She called it ‘an utter witch-hunt… That is what it was. They were after scalps.’
A new charity, Fighting with Pride, will launch for veterans later this month with the support of NHS England, Royal British Legion and Stonewall.
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