n chaplains. The Roman
Catholic chaplains are classed as parish priests, curates and
assistants, and are subject to an army Vicar Apostolic. In war, at an
army headquarters there are a "field-rabbi," a "military imam," an
evangelical minister, as well as the Roman Catholic hierarchy. By a
decree of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda (May 15, 1906), the
archbishop of Westminster is the ecclesiastical superior of all
commissioned Roman Catholic chaplains in the British army and navy, and
he is empowered to negotiate with the civil authorities concerning
appointments.

In Germany, owing to the fact that there are different religions in the
different states, there is no uniform system. In Prussia there are two
_Feldprobste_ (who are directly under the war minister), one Lutheran,
one Roman Catholic. The latter is a titular bishop, and has sole
spiritual authority over soldiers. There are also army corps and
divisional chaplains of both faiths. Bavaria and Saxony, both Roman
Catholic states, have no special spiritual hierarchy; in Bavaria, the
archbishop of Munich and Freysing is _ex officio_ bishop of the army.

The origin of the office of _capellanus_ or _cappellanus_ in the
medieval church is generally traced (see Du Cange, _Gloss, med. et
infim. Latin_.) to the appointment of persons to watch over the sacred
cloak (_cappa_ or _capella_) of St Martin of Tours, which was preserved
as a relic by the French monarchs. In time of war this cloak was carried
with the army in the field, and was kept in a tent which itself came to
be known as a _cappella_ or _capella_. It is also suggested that the
_capella_ was simply the tent or canopy which the French kings erected
over the altar in the field for the worship of the soldiers. However
this may be, the name _capellanus_ was generally applied to those who
were in charge of sacred relics: such officials were also known as
_custodes, martyrarii, cubicularii_. Thus we hear of a _custos palatinae
capellae_ who was in charge of the palace chapel relics, and guarded
them in the field; the chief of these _custodes_ was sometimes called
the _archicapellanus_. From the care of sacred relics preserved in royal
chapels, &c. (_sacella_ or _capellae_), the office of _capellanus_
naturally extended its scope until it covered practically that of the
modern court chaplain, and was officially recognized by the Church.
These clerics became the confessors in royal and noble houses, and were
gene