Police Chaplaincy in Argentina

Police work is very difficult and stressful. This is particularly true in Argentina. The South American country is going through economic and social upheaval that has seen increase in crime. ACN spoke with a police chaplain in Argentina, who is a pioneer in this pastoral apostolate.

By ACN Staff

Fr. Nicolás. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

Police work can be very difficult. This is particularly true in Argentina today. Argentina is going through an economic and social crisis. This has had a negative impact on society causing increasing crime rates. At the same time, because of budgetary concerns, police officers have to work longer hours. María Lozano from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) interviewed Father Nicolás Daniel Julián, the senior police chaplain for the province of Córdoba in Argentina, about the work of the police chaplaincy. Fr. Nicolás is a pioneer in the pastoral apostolate of police chaplaincy.

Fr. Nicolás and another chaplain of the Police of the Province of Córdoba. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

Fr. Nicolás starts out by explaining that being a police chaplain is not just about providing religious services to police officers. Rather it is:

“a targeted care directed at the individual police officer within his own family and social setting and in the concrete situations that arise in his life.”

Fr. Nicolás explains that there are certain characteristics to police work that sets police officer apart from the rest of the population. This is mainly the fact that the police have the power to make decisions impacting the life and liberty of other people. They have the power to make arrests and are also issued firearms that are allowed to use if the circumstance requires it. This makes special provision in ministering to police officer essential, to make sure their faith formation reflects the extra burdens of responsibility placed on them.

Fr. Nicolás explains that the nature of police work puts the officers under a lot of stress. When police officer begins their work each day they do not know what exactly will happen or what danger they may face. Fr. Nicolás further elaborates that the officers know what they have to do as part of their job. The police chaplain helps in them understanding how they should do their work through a deeper understanding of their faith. This work however can put a psychological burden on the officers. Fr. Nicolás explains how the work of a police officer is often described in Argentina:

“it is his job to do the dirty work, to clean up things that aren’t good in society”.  

Fr. Nicolás at a meeting with other chaplains, pastoral agents and other representatives of the Police of the Province of Córdoba. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

Fr. Nicolás explained further that police chaplains help police officers to regard their role as a service to safeguard against abuse of power. Fr. Nicolás elaborated:

“We speak of “helping others” and never “helping oneself”. Essentially, this is what Christ told us: that no one has greater love than he who is capable - and the policeman is capable - of giving his life for those he loves. If there is no love or conviction, it is easy to be a simple public functionary; is very easy for a policeman to succumb to all kinds of temptation, because he has authority, he has a weapon and the power to decide over the life and liberty of others. In our work of accompaniment, we work very much in the area of training – intellectual training, professional training – but we also place a great deal of emphasis on their spiritual care.”

The ministry of the police chaplain is essential in helping police officers not get stuck in a negative view of the world. This done by helping the police officer to see things from point of view of their faith. Many police officers rely on their family to help support them. Fr. Nicolás and other police chaplains include police officers’ families in their ministry, as the families of police officers are also affected by police work.

ACN is supporting the work of Fr. Nicolás by helping provide material for ministry and supporting training for this special pastoral apostolate.