Sermon: What is a Chaplain?

Posted on 18 Aug 2024 @ 1:43pm by Lieutenant JG Hovar Kov

1,423 words; about a 7 minute read

[ON]

Twas another Sunday morning, and during the Mass, Hovar was entranced with the service. There was a stable, yet small, presence to his services to their conclusions. There was also a stable, yet confident, number of people who only attended his services to hear his sermons. Of course, as Hovar knew deep down, they would only stay for the sermon, and then they would quietly leave as he returned to the Mass. For those who couldn't, or wouldn't, attend the services, Hovar had recorded it for individuals to listen to at their own time. He made no judgements as he could order no one to attend.

Once he concluded the Gospel reading of the day, he took off his maniple and placed it on the Missal. He kissed the alter, bowed before it, and then he turned around, PADD in hand, as he thought about what he was going to say. First, he hit record on the PADD, then he placed it on the communion rail as he remembered the announcements of the day.

"Friends,

Before I begin today's sermon, there are few announcements which I wish to make. First: I will be offering a course on stress reduction techniques using meditation. It is a secular meditative course which focuses on body and mind relaxation techniques to help you with being able to de-stress after your watch and help you with getting proper rest. This course is only a survey course, and it is meant to encourage individual practice and research.

Second: I have been asked by the Operations department to remind everyone that any damage to crew housing caused by willful neglect such as; I cannot believe I'm going to say this, standing on a chair, leaning it, and riding it like a surfboard will result in being placed on report and being subject to nonjudicial punishment including Captain's Mast.

With all of that, thus beings the sermon:

It is an honor, and a privilege, to serve aboard the USS Galileo as your Chaplain. The office of the Chaplain is a unique position among Star Fleet, however, it is not a young position. Even though religious individuals are among the minority among the Federation, if not the entire galaxy, their belief system must still be honored and respected. This is where the Chaplain comes in. We are your advocates, regardless if you share the same tradition as mine or otherwise.

We may not practice the same rituals, but we learn as best we can about your rituals so that you can practice them. Even if your religion is based on an atheistic philosophy such as Stoicism or Buddhism, it is the Chaplain's responsibility to ensure that you are free to practice them without persecution or consequence.

While I cannot speak for every Chaplain in the Corps, please allow me to direct your attention to the question: what exactly does the Chaplain do? In the eyes of the Medical Department, we provide spiritual and pastoral counseling which is based on my background in Christianity as well as your own religious or philosophical tradition. We fill he gap in holistic care of body, mind, and spiritual care that is the goal of every medical department.

Your Physician, Counselor, and Chaplain respectfully work with you to care for you as the whole person, leaving nothing out. Your care team works together as a team to ensure that you can be a member of your department team so that you can be a contributing member of team Galileo thus team Star Fleet.

Chaplains have a long, honorable tradition of nurturing the living, caring for the sick, and honoring the fallen. Chaplains have spent many days and nights in the service of those who the Chaplain support. Chaplains have endured sleepless nights, empty stomachs, thirsty mouths, wounded bodies, and losing their very lives to fulfill their chaplaincy obligations. We have led damage control teams, without regard to our lives, to save the lives of the crew and the ship.

As your Chaplain, I do all these not because we are bound to by regulation or tradition, but because I view all of you as my brothers and sisters. Some of you have heard me say, as all of you will hear now, "we are brethren before any other rank."

To address the elephant in the room, yes, you have a Klingon as a chaplain. I am a warrior. I am not afraid to fight side by side with any of you with any weapon available to me. However, while I do adhere to much of the Klingon philosophy of combat, I do not follow all of the Klingon ways. The Klingon ways to their absolute are contrary to Christian belief.

First and foremost, I am a Catholic priest of the Latin rite. I perform all, save for a few that requires a Bishop, of the liturgical functions according to that tradition. However, I cater to all denominations, religions, and philosophical traditions. I might not lead them or take part, but I will figure out a way for you to perform your rites.

There is the question of how am I different from a counselor? First off, Chaplains hold absolute priest-penitent privilege. In other words, any discussion had between us will be held in absolute confidence. Consider it akin to the Seal of Confession but in a secular space. Not even the Captain, nor her superiors, can compel me to disclose what has been said between us.

Second, I clinically specialize in acute trauma focused therapy. Allow me to provide an example. You are at your baseline, which is how you are normally. Suddenly, a triggering event happens such as a Red Alert situation or finding out that something happened at home and you cannot be there for your family.

You become more stressed and stressed and stressed. You can be in this phase for a few seconds or even a few days or weeks until you hit outburst, which is physically, emotionally, or verbally violent. You then de-escalate as you return to baseline. My specialty is to help you through that process and help prevent you from going to an outburst. Again, all of that is protected by privilege.

However, I have my limits. If I believe that you are a threat to either yourself or others, I will bring you to Medical for further assessment and intervention. Remember, I am a Klingon, I will fight for the preservation of your soul as furiously as I will fight against the enemies of the Federation.

Finally, I wish to address the question of my rank. First and foremost, I hold no command authority. If you look up the chain of command on this vessel, you will notice that my name will not appear anywhere on that chain. Whether in public or behind closed doors, I am addressed as Chaplain, never by my rank or Sir.

While few will find this detail relevant, it grants me the ability to adopt the rank of who I minister to. The lowest enlisted person this ship talks to me on the same level as the most senior officer. No one can talk down to me and I don't talk up to anyone. Is it any wonder that I hold true to the claim that we are brethren before any other rank.

I would like to conclude with this thought, a thought that hopefully summarizes my role as Chaplain. If you look behind me you will see the crucified founder of my entire belief system. After he was betrayed, humiliated, scourged, tortured, abandoned, killed, and resurrected, he said these words: "A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another (John 13:34-35)."

As your chaplain, I am bound to do what Jesus of Nazareth commanded through with all of my being from the physical to the metaphysical. No one, not even those who Star Fleet swears obedience to, will get in the way of me performing the duties of my sacred promise. That is my promise to you; and deus vult (God wills it), I will perform my duties for every hour God sends until he calls me home. Amen."

Signing himself with the Cross, Hovar stopped the recording and returned to the alter, placing his vestment back on. Placing the PADD to the side again, he resumed the liturgy.

[OFF]

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