Humanist Chaplains in Canada
Presented by Catherine Francis

This week we will be joined by a very special guest, Marie-Claire Khadij, the first humanist chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Marie-Claire Khadij (she/her/elle) is a proud Franco-Canadian who speaks French, English and Spanish. She has always been passionate about meeting people from various backgrounds and learning about their cultures and views on life. She is a Women’s Rights advocate, and strives to be an ally to minorities, especially 2SLGBTQIA+, persons of colour, and Indigenous communities.

She has been serving as a military chaplain since 2017 and became the first humanist chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in May 2022. Her aim is to continue to grow the number of humanist chaplains in the CAF to ensure that all members (including humanists, agnostics, atheists and all with secular worldviews) are represented and can access services in line with their values.

As a military spouse since 2007 who then became a military member herself, Marie-Claire has had the privilege of working with CAF members and their families at home and abroad. She sees the role of a chaplain as being present with people through the joys and challenges of military life. She hopes to continue to offer a caring presence to the military community for years to come.

Marie-Claire will provide an introduction to her work as a humanist chaplain and kick off a lively discussion on the subject.

Join the Zoom meeting here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/971381033

Meet Captain Marie-Claire Khadij, the CAF’s first humanist chaplain