The Roman Catholic Bishopric of the Forces differs from any other diocese in that it is not aligned along geographical boundaries but encompasses anywhere in the world that United Kingdom military personnel are serving or deployed.
Service personnel and their dependants are served by Regular and Reserve Chaplains as well as a number of Officiating Chaplains. These chaplains are drawn from Dioceses and Religious Congregations and are clergy of the Bishopric for their duration of their military service.
Catholic Military Chaplains provide spiritual support, pastoral care, and moral guidance to Catholic servicemen, women and their families.
The International Military Pilgrimage started in 1958 when the French Armed Forces invited the German military to join them in Lourdes as a gesture of post-war reconciliation.
