Denmark Prepares Priests to Bury Up to 20 Soldiers a Day in Case of War

Denmark is preparing priests to conduct a large number of military funerals in the event of a large-scale war in Europe.

Thomas H. Beck, head of Denmark’s military chaplains, told TV 2 that one of the scenarios the country is preparing for involves 10 to 20 military fatalities per day.

Starting in January, Danish military chaplains will begin training parish priests across the country.

They will teach them how to conduct military funerals and work with large numbers of fallen service members.

According to Beck, the experience of the war in Ukraine shows that in the event of a major conflict, the number of fatalities could significantly exceed the figures from Denmark’s previous military operations.

There are currently 95 military chaplains serving in the Danish Armed Forces. In peacetime, they also work as parish priests.

However, in the event of a large-scale war, 95 chaplains may not be enough to conduct all the funerals. Therefore, military chaplains are to prepare their civilian colleagues to work with large numbers of fallen service members.

Danish military chaplains receive training in military pastoral care, international humanitarian law and military affairs.

Denmark has already allocated 1.8 million Danish kroner to prepare the Church of Denmark for these tasks. The funds were provided for in the defense agreement concluded in November 2024.

Militarnyi previously reported that the Danish Armed Forces expanded conscription of young people amid actions by the United States and Russia. Under the new 11-month program, 1,600 Danes were drafted into the military.