Military Chapel Invasions

[JMHACLJ at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/9/2005 6:41:57 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
paul-finkelman at utulsa.edu writes:

Sandy:  I have only just now joined this discussion and see it mostly as a  
theoreitcal problem. I would like to know a whole lot more about the invasion  
of the chapel, but for starters, I would assume that the Army owns the chapel, 
 not the Priest? Does that affect things?  I think it  might.


Well, there is a case in the area generally, arising when the United States  
Air Force did, in fact, invade Catholic chapels service wide.
 
Shocking claim, because you may not have even heard of it? Or perhaps  
because it eludes the memory?
 
When President Clinton was in office, and the partial birth abortion  
legislation was pending in Congress and to be presented for the second (I think)  
time, the USCC/NCCB directed priests, on a selected Sunday, throughout the  
Nation, to speak to their congregants during the homily and urge them to make  
calls and/or send letters supporting passage of the PBA Act.  
 
In response, USAF honchos sent down a directive ordering Catholic chaplains  
not to do so.
 
Judge Paul Friedman, of the federal district court in Washington, DC,  issued 
an injunction against enforcement of the Air Force directive.  The  case was 
not appealed, so far as I could ever find.  
 
So at least once, when the camel stuck its snout under the nose of the  tent, 
one federal judge found the constitutional moxie to swat that thing.
 
 
Jim Henderson
Senior Counsel
ACLJ
 
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