The Clericus of the Anglican Military Ordinariate

The Clericus of the Anglican Military Ordinariate

1. Membership. All Anglican Chaplains of the Canadian Armed Forces are members of Clericus.
2. Bishop’s Executive Council. The Bishop’s Executive Council of the Ordinary consists of a minimum of one Archdeacon and two Canons. The Anglican Bishop Ordinary appoints the members of the council. The members function as consultants with, and advisors to, the Anglican Bishop Ordinary. The period of time one is appointed to the Bishop’s Council is at the discretion of the Anglican Bishop Ordinary.
3. The Cathedral Church of the Anglican Military Ordinariate. The Cathedral Church of the Anglican Military Ordinariate is Christ Church Cathedral, Ottawa. This was formally designated the Cathedral Church of the Canadian Armed Forces in 1979.
4. Annual Meeting. The Clericus meets annually, preferably at Exercise CALLED TO SERVE, the annual training exercise of the Royal Canadian Chaplain Service. The purpose of the annual meeting is to review and discuss all matters pertaining to the ministry of the Anglican Church within the Canadian Armed Forces including issues which affect the Anglican Church as a whole. Issues arising between annual Clericus meetings, when necessary, can be resolved by the Anglican Bishop Ordinary with the aid of the Executive.
5. The Chair. The Bishop Ordinary is the chair of Clericus.
6. Decisions Binding. Decisions made by majority vote of Clericus and assent given by the Anglican Bishop Ordinary are binding on all its members.
7. Channels of Communication. Decisions/Resolutions of Clericus may be passed in the form of recommendations through the Anglican Bishop Ordinary to the Primate and/or the Interfaith Committee on Canadian Military Chaplaincy (ICCMC).
8. Anglican Offerings Committee. An Anglican Offerings Committee is appointed by the Anglican Bishop Ordinary to determine the recipients of the monies received from the Anglican apportionment to the Canadian Armed Forces Chapel Offerings Wider Mission. The Offerings Committee will meet at the discretion of the Anglican Bishop Ordinary. The committee consists of two members of Clericus and two Anglican military lay members and the Anglican Bishop Ordinary.
9. General Synod Delegates. The Anglican Church in the Canadian Armed Forces is represented at each General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada by two members of the Clericus, two lay delegates, and one youth delegate. All delegates are elected by Clericus. The Anglican Military Ordinariate, General Synod, the Anglican Offerings Committee, and the Office of the Chaplain General share funding for General Synod. The lay delegates and the youth delegate are chosen from nominations received from all Bases/Wings/Formations throughout the Canadian Armed Forces. Following General Synod a written report is submitted on their reflections of General Synod to Clericus. The two Clericus delegates present their reflections on the General Synod to Clericus.
10. Canons of the Anglican Military Ordinariate. The Canons of the Anglican Military Ordinariate are binding on the members of Clericus in so far as they reflect the obedience each member has to the binding decisions of the Anglican Bishop Ordinary.

Guidelines for Ministry

1. The following guidelines for the ministry of Anglican Chaplains have been gleaned from the documents of Anglican Bishops Ordinary and from the meetings of Clericus and Chapter. For the sake of brevity these guidelines have been paraphrased.
2.  The Eucharist.  Anglican Chaplains are expected to celebrate the Eucharist weekly, preferably on Sunday, and also on Holy Days whenever possible. All members who are baptized and are in good standing with their own denomination are invited to make their communion. Children who have been prepared following the guidelines of the Anglican Bishop Ordinary are invited to receive as well. Children who have not received the necessary sacramental preparation are encouraged to accompany their parents to the altar rail to receive a blessing.
3. Liturgical Rites. Anglican chaplains are permitted to use the Book of Common Prayer, the Book of Alternative Services or any rite approved by the Anglican Bishop Ordinary to celebrate their sacramental ministry. Anglican Chaplains are not authorized to concelebrate the Eucharist with clergy of other denominations without the expressed approval of the Anglican Bishop Ordinary.  Questions on liturgical usage in the Anglican Military Ordinariate may be referred to the Canon Liturgist.
4. Anglican/Lutheran Relations. The Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada are in full communion with each other. This does not mean that the two denominations have merged together. Both denominations continue to have their own identity and liturgical uniqueness. This does permit an Anglican Chaplain to celebrate using the Lutheran sacramental rites when a Lutheran Chaplain is not available and vice versa.
5. Daily Offices. Anglican Chaplains are expected to say the Daily Offices. Whenever possible other Chaplains and members of the laity are most welcome to join in saying the Office with the Anglican Chaplain.
6. Solemnization of Marriage. Anglican Chaplains are directed to follow General Synod Canon XXI pertaining to the solemnization of matrimony and the re-marriage of divorced persons. Applications for re-marriage of divorced persons shall be submitted to the Anglican Bishop Ordinary using the forms provide by the Canon Secretary.
7. Ecclesiastical Vestments. For services of Divine Worship held in chapels/churches or opportunities of public worship in a non-tactical environment a cassock, surplice and preaching scarf, or a cassock/alb and preaching scarf, are to be worn. For the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in a non-tactical environment appropriate Eucharistic vestments; or a cassock, surplice and stole; or a cassock/alb and stole; are to be worn. The tactical environment will dictate the appropriate vestments for the service with the minimum being a stole/preaching scarf.