Military clergy in ethnic formations of the Russian army, 1914-1917

Abstract

The paper analyzes the organization of military service of non-Orthodox clergy during the World War I, as well as related problems of providing religious needs of soldiers and officers. The research identifies government agencies associated with spiritual care for servicemen, their staffing and normative documentation regulating the activities of non-Orthodox clergy in the Russian army. The article traces basic functions of the clergy in military units, such as the organization of services during religious holidays, charity and spiritual assistance to wounded and sick in hospitals, and the departure of funeral ceremonies. The author states a clear aspiration of both the authorities and the clergy to avoid religious disputes and clashes, as well as to refuse conducting missionary activity in the army. The activities of the Muslim, Catholic and Lutheran clergy, their particular qualities, and the difficulties and shortcomings of the process are described. There was a high degree of loyalty of the military clergymen to the Central government. Numerous military and spiritual rewards of the representatives of military clergy are the evidence of selfless exercises of their pastoral debt on battlefields. At the same time, both civilian and military authorities exhibited distrust to Lutheran priests, and first of all to Germans by nationality.