Defence Forces chaplains operate in much the same way as parish priests. They say Mass, hear Confession and provide a listening ear.
But they enjoy one special privilege, explains Fr Paul Murphy, who is deployed with the 126th Infantry Battalion in Lebanon.
“One of the things that a chaplain can do that an ordinary priest in a parish can’t do is give general absolution.
“Every month since we’ve come, at Sunday Mass, I give a general absolution so that, God forbid, if anything happened, the lads are covered.
“It’s an insurance policy that you don’t even have to pay for,” Fr Murphy says with a laugh.
The padre’s easy-going nature is one of the reasons why he is so popular with the 333 men and women of the battalion.
“Have you spoken to Fr Murphy yet?
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