Pennant

A Church Pennant is a pennant flow to indicate that a religious service is in progress. It is flown on ships and establishments (bases).

Marine Nationale

The French Navy maintained a church pennant but it fell into disuse in 1905.^[1]

Royal Navy & Royal Netherlands Navy

The Church Pennant as used by the Royal Navy, Commonwealth Navies, and Royal Netherlands Navy.

History

The origin of the broad pennant combination of the English Flag^[2] at the hoist and the Dutch National Flag^[3] in the fly originating from the Anglo-Dutch wars of the late 17th century on Sundays to indicate that a service was in progress and a ceasefire existed between the warring nations.

United States Navy

The United States Navy maintains several church pennants, of which the appropriate one is flown immediately above the ensign wherever the ensign is displayed, at the gaff when under way, or at the flagstaff when not under way, when religious services are held aboard ship by a Navy Chaplain. Originally, the only authorized church pennant was for Christian chaplains, regardless of specific denomination. Later in 1975, the Secretary of Navy approved a similar Jewish worship pennant.^[4][5] Although the United States also has chaplains of other religions, no further pennants have yet been authorized. Although, the United States Flag Code states that no flag shall be flown above the flag of the United States of America, an exemption was written into the code for the church pennant.^[6]

References