Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, also called the Military Ordinariate of the United States, provides the Roman Catholic Church's pastoral and spiritual services to those serving in the United States armed forces or other federal services overseas. This military ordinariate is a special diocese canonically erected by Pope Pius XII in 1939 for members and others employed by the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy. Its ordinary is the Archbishop for the Military Services, assisted by a corps of auxiliary bishops which oversees chaplain priests serving throughout the world. The seat of archdiocese is Washington, DC.

[edit] History

Before its elevation to a full archdiocese, the armed forces of the United States was served by an informal corps of volunteer priests. Their work dates back to the colonial era of American history, through the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, American Civil War, World War I and World War II. What would later become the apostolic vicariate of the military, popes began choosing bishops to oversee military chaplains since the appointment of Bishop Patrick Hayes (later Cardinal) as papal military vicar for the United States on November 24, 1917.