Extract
[...] This is also confirmed by Antoine Windeck. According to him, 'the ritual dimension, inseparable from the fact of religion, is itself underlying a part of military traditions and symbols, as a form of collective expression, comparable to a secular and public cult. The ceremonial, rigorous, formalized, and repetitive, serves as a liturgy, ordering the unfolding of the arms. Surprising observers who are ignorant of military realities and habits, they are especially striking for the part given to what appears to be a very codified ritual' (Windeck, 2008). [...]
[...] This is what François Chauvancy confirms. According to him, 'an engaged Catholicism, sometimes proselytizing, gradually makes its place within the military institution. This perception is all the stronger when one progresses in the military hierarchy with an apparent overrepresentation of Catholic officers. It appears that individual commitment to being an officer seems to correspond quite frequently to belonging to a Catholic cultural and family environment, with a traditional right-wing political commitment'6 » (Chauvancy, 2008) Thus, the relationship between the military hierarchy and Catholicism has not faded to this day. [...]
[...] This reality is still current. In this sense, as Pope Francis recalled on May during the sixtieth international military pilgrimage to the Lourdes sanctuary (France): 'you' risk your life for the service of others, may the Virgin Mary protect and guard you1 » (Pope Francis, 2018). In fact, following this statement, we must appreciate the relationship to religion in the army as a possibility offered to the soldier to alleviate his soul and allow him to perform his job in accordance with his spiritual principles. [...]
[...] This is what confirms Antoine Windeck. According to this specialist, 'the operational finality of the armies, and its concrete corollary of the use of means intended to kill, must lead each member of the military community, but also any member of society, to question the meaning of military action'9 » (Windeck, 2008). B. Military Life and the Relationship to the Sacred However, it is clear that the alignment between a religious conception and military practice can 'unseat' the soldier, especially in their personal relationship with death. [...]
[...] This is what François Chauvancy shows. According to him, 'the principle of laicism is the driving force of the ethical action of the officer who cannot in any case define himself as Catholic, Protestant or even "laicard". He can only be republican, which does not give a political or religious coloration'."11 » (Chauvancy, 2008). Conclusion Throughout this work, we have sought to demonstrate the interconnection at multiple levels between military life in France and the relationship with the Catholic religion. Due to its history and the socialization of individuals within the institution, the connection to the sacred remains significant among military personnel. [...]
