St. Martin of Tours: Bearing the Cape and the Two Kingdoms

Saint Martin of Tours, by El Greco

The Christian Church in the West celebrates November 11 as the Day of St. Martin of Tours—“founder” of military chaplaincy, patron saint of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, and namesake of the blessed Dr. Martin Luther.

The first Martin’s story is bound up with the history of the Incarnation and the Christian doctrine of the two kingdoms. With the coming of Christ in the flesh, His bloody campaign of the cross, His exalted victory of the resurrection, and His good Gifts and Spirit, the Gospel kingdom of His Body flourished. For the first three centuries, it did so in the context of often ferocious Roman persecution. During this time, the Christian Church still honored the office of governmental authority as from God, if not the form of its exercise. On honoring the office of governmental authority, see St. Matt. 22:21, Rom. 13:1-6, 1 Tim. 2:1-3, Titus 3:1, and 1 Pet. 2:13-14. On the limits of obedience to government, the apostolic injunction stands, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29; NKJV.

On October 28, 312, the Battle of the Milvian Bridge radically altered the situation. Although accounts differ, tradition reports that Constantine had earlier seen in the sky a large Chi Rho (the abbreviation for Christ) and had heard a voice, saying, “In this sign conquer” (in hoc signo vinces). Constantine incorporated the Chi Rho into his battle standard, conquered his rival Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, consolidated all Roman imperial power in himself, and claimed Christianity as his religion. The 313 Edict of Milan paved the way for Christianity to become the official religion of the Roman Empire. Confusion of the two kingdoms would take more than a millennium to sort out.

That the empire was “baptized Christian” did not immediately move the Church to send her clergy to support soldiers. The continuing effects of the previous persecutions, the pagan traditions of the legions, and a pacifist-leaning reaction to these trends were not finally overcome until the mid-fifth century. At that point, there is evidence that some priests were sporadically appointed to administer sacraments to soldiers in garrison, but those clerics did not usually accompany soldiers on campaigns.

By the eighth century, some clergy not only had been making their own autonomous decisions to accompany soldiers into battle, but also had been picking up arms and fighting. This led the 742 Council of Ratisbon to formulate one of the earliest statements on the official designation and non-combatant status of clergy serving the military:

We prohibit the servant of God in every way from bearing arms or fighting in the army or going against the enemy, except those alone who because of the sacred office, namely, for celebrating mass and caring for the relics of the saints, have been designated for this office; that is to say, the leader may have with him one or two bishops with their priest chaplains, and each captain may have one priest, in order to hear confessions of the men and impose upon them the proper penance.

By the time of Charles the Great—crowned king of the Franks in 768 and Emperor of the reconstituted Holy Roman Empire in 800—clergy began to regularly accompany armies in battle. The reign of Charlemagne saw frequent military action and territorial expansion, with larger armies and longer campaigns amplifying the need for clergy support. During this time, clergy would accompany soldiers on campaigns and offer mass, hear confession, preach sermons, pray war liturgies, and, yes, carry the relics of saints into battle.

These last duties led to the birth of the title “chaplain.” Charlemagne retained a royal priest and scholar in his court, Walafrid Strabo. It was Strabo who, based on his significant historical knowledge, transmitted the origins of the title “chaplain” in connection with the history of Martin of Tours.

According to tradition, in 316 AD Martin, a Roman army officer, happened upon a scantily clad beggar in the cold of winter. He cut his own military cape in two, giving half to the beggar. That night, Martin dreamed and saw the beggar wearing the half-cape . . . and the beggar was Christ! Martin resigned his position, was baptized, and pursued a life of Christian mission with renowned piety. He was ordained, founded a monastery, and later installed as Bishop of Tours.

The remaining half of the cape (cappa) found its way to the Franks, who kept it near in battle. The cape was housed in a temporary sanctuary, a chapel (cappella). The clergy who carried it and other saints’ relics were called chaplains, i.e., keepers of the cape (cappellani, with the French chapelains forming the basis for the English). These clergy were chaplains, not yet in the modern sense of being uniformed clergy in a standing army, but in the sense of civilian clergy appointed to accompany soldiers for an extended period, sometimes up to three years.

Surviving accounts of the ministry of Carolingian chaplains are remarkable. Chaplains gathered soldiers in impressive masses and prayer services, with full liturgical participation and powerful sermons, encouraging genuine penitence and unwavering faith in God. Eucharistic reception was central. Michael McCormick, in his Sword of the Lord, gives this example:

Thus we see the Frankish army poised on the edge of the central European forest, marching barefoot around their encampment as they intoned the litanies of the saints. . . . The Carolingian warriors fasted for three days to purify themselves before battle. The Crusaders did similarly at Antioch, feasting only on the Eucharist. (55)

Wonderful fervor regarding the faith, questionable fasting for mortal combat.

McCormick also conveys this surviving homily—a timeless call to soldiers to do their duty with integrity and faith in Christ. The homily begins:

Men, brothers, and fathers, you who have the Christian name and bear the standard of the cross on your brow, pay attention and listen! Consider carefully at what cost you have been redeemed, whose name you have on you, because you, Christ redeemed you by blessed blood to the eternal inheritance from which you were thrown out for the sin of our fist kinsman, Adam. By our Savior’s redemption, the human race was put back there. Consider this carefully, when you are moving out and you are going to fight against your enemies, that, with God’s help, you defend the Christian name. And beware, with all your cunning and cleverness, lest you bear in vain what has been given to you through God’s gift. Abstain from evil deeds, abstain from carnal desire, put God in front of your eyes with love and fear. And in your prayers, always call on God to help you. (58-59)

Through the reign of Charlemagne and well beyond, the exercise of power in the kingdoms of left and right were admittedly often confused. Martin Luther brought clarity by distinguishing the kingdom of the left/civil realm as God’s rule by force to bring the external justice of protecting good and punishing evil, and the kingdom of the right/spiritual realm as God’s rule by the Gospel to bring the internal righteousness of saving faith.

The Gospel ministry of military chaplains today flows from the legacy of Martin of Tours, clarified by the latter Martin’s distinction of the two kingdoms, to bring pastoral care and the saving Word to soldiers in their deepest needs. How appropriate that Hans and Margaret Luther had a son born November 10, 1483, but could not quite manage to get the infant to St. Peter’s, Eisleben, Germany, for baptism that day. By delaying one day, the son was baptized November 11, the Day of St. Martin of Tours, receiving his name. God’s timing is always best.