CV NEWS FEED // The Catholic Archdiocese for Military Services has issued a statement clarifying “misconduct” allegations against a renowned military chaplain following media reports which claimed he “failed to act on knowledge of another’s past sexual misconduct.”
The United States Coast Guard informed the Archdiocese last week of its decision to remove decorated Navy Captain and former SEAL Team 6 chaplain, Fr. Daniel L. Mode, from his duties as Chaplain of the Coast Guard, after finding that Fr. Mode “did not take appropriate action when made aware of pre-service sexual misconduct by another chaplain.”
The military branch further noted that Fr. Mode did not violate any laws or policies in his reporting of the unnamed chaplain’s 2011 sexual misconduct. Rather, the Coast Guard described the situation as a “failure in judgement below what is expected from his key leadership position.”
The Archdiocese wrote in its statement that Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio “takes sexual misconduct and the reporting of sexual misconduct seriously,” and is confident that Fr. Mode “ensured and directed that key Coast Guard personnel and chaplains responsible for advising and briefing their commanders were emailed all of the detailed and pertinent documents,” within hours of receiving the documents detailing the misconduct.
However, Fr. Mode expressed to the Archbishop that “he believed his initial report in 2022 would be more broadly communicated,” but that upon reviewing the Coast Guard’s investigation, Fr. Mode realised his assumption that all field commanders involved in the case had been informed following the initial report was false.
The statement added that Fr. Mode told the Archbishop he “fully embraces the Coast Guard’s core values,” and “apologized profoundly for the circumstances that led to his removal as Chaplain of the Coast Guard which he views as his own leadership failure.”
Fr Mode also expressed full support for the Coast Guard’s efforts to address sexual assault and misconduct with full transparency and accountability. Fr. Mode remains in good standing as a priest, and has been reassigned to an administrative position within the U.S. Navy Chief of Chaplains Office.
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