CHAPLAIN, originally, according to Du Cange (Gloss. med. et inf. Lat.), the custodian of the cloak (cappa or capella) of St. Martin of Tours, which was preserved as a relic by the French kings, and carried with the army in wartime, when it was kept in a tent known itself as capella (Fr. cliapelain; M. Lat. capellanus). It is also suggested that the capella was the tent-like canopy erected by the French kings over the altar for soldiers in the field, without special reference to St. Martin. However this may be, the name capellanus was generally applied to custodians of sacred relics preserved in royal chapels, etc. ; and the office gradually extended its scope, capellani acquiring spiritual jurisdiction and increasing in number, so that an arch-chaplain was appointed as their head, who from the time of Charlemagne was a high prelate, and who became an important personage in the realm. In France the arch-chaplain was grand-almoner, and both in France and in the Holy Roman Empire was also high chancellor of the realm. The office was abolished in France in 1789, revived by Pius IX. in 18S7, and again abolished on the fall of the Second Empire. The word chaplain now signifies a clergyman attached to the household of a sovereign or his representatives (ambassadors, judges, etc.), or of a bishop or nobleman, or private individual having a chapel in his house, to the army or navy, or to institu tions (e.g. parliament, colleges, cemeteries, prisons). As chaplain he has no parochial duties, but in some cases a parish priest is also appointed to a chaplaincy ; e.g. an Anglican bishop often appoints beneficed clergymen as his examining chaplains. The British sov ereign has 36 "Chaplains in Ordinary," who officiate in rotation, as well as "Honorary Chaplains" and "Domestic Chaplains." There are also royal chaplains in Scotland. The Indian civil serv ice appoints a number of chaplains of the Church of England and the Church of Scotland, who are subject to the same conditions as other civil servants. Chaplains are also appointed under the For eign Office to embassies, consulates, etc. Workhouse chaplains are appointed by overseers and guardians on the direction of the Min istry of Health. Prison chaplains are appointed by the home secretary.
In the British army there are two kinds of chaplains, permanent and occasional. The former, described as Chaplains to the Forces, hold commissions, serving throughout the empire except in India; they number about zoo, and include a Chaplain-General who ranks as a major-general, and four classes of subordinate chaplains who rank respectively as colonels, lieutenant-colonels, majors and cap tains. Special chaplains (Acting Chaplains for Temporary Serv ice) may be appointed by a secretary of state. Permanent chap lains may be Church of England, Roman Catholic or Presby terian; Wesleyans (if they prefer not to accept commissions) may be appointed Acting Chaplains. In the navy, every large ship in commission has a chaplain; at the head of the naval chaplains is the Chaplain of the Fleet. But the ecclesiastical superior of all Roman Catholic chaplains in both army and navy is the arch bishop of Westminster, by decree of Propaganda (1906). In 1909 a Chaplains' Department of the Territorial Force was formed, having no denominational restriction.
In France, military and naval chaplaincies were abolished on the separation of Church and State. In the army of the United States of America the establishment of chaplains was fixed in 1904 by Congress at 57 (15 with the rank of major), 12 for the artillery corps and one each for the cavalry and infantry regiments. There is no distinction of sect. In the U.S. navy the chaplains number 24, 13 ranking as lieutenants, seven as commanders, four as captains.
The Roman Catholic Church also recognizes a class of beneficed chaplains, supported out of "pious foundations" for the specific duty of saying, or arranging for, certain masses, or taking part in certain services. These chaplains are classified as follows:— Ecclesiastical, if the foundation has been recognized officially as a benefice ; Lay, if this recognition has not been obtained ; Merce nary, if the benefaction has been entrusted to a layman to procure the desired celebration (such trustees are sometimes called "Lay Chaplains") ; Collative, if it is provided that a bishop shall erect the foundation into a benefice.
Other classes of chaplains are :—(i) Parochial or Auxiliary Chaplains, appointed to assist a parish priest (usually by the bishop, but sometimes by the parish priest, as allowed by the Council of Trent) ; Chaplains of Convents, appointed by a bishop : these must be men of mature age, should not be regulars if secular priests can be obtained, and are not generally appointed for life; (3) Pontifical Chaplains, some of whom (known as Pri vate Chaplains) assist the pontiff in the celebration of Mass; oth ers attached directly to the pope are honorary private chaplains who occasionally assist the private chaplains, private clerics of the chapel, common chaplains and supernumerary chaplains. The common chaplains were instituted by Alexander VII., and in 1907 were definitely allowed the title "Monsignore"—pertaining also to cardinals, archbishops, and bishops—by Pius X.