Archbishop Coakley Criticizes Livestreaming of Nidal Hassan's Execution

Archbishop Paul Coakley, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, expressed concern over the planned livestreaming of Nidal Hassan's execution, stating it would promote a 'culture of death.' In a statement to Vatican News, Coakley expressed 'shock and great sorrow' regarding the decision to publicly broadcast the execution of Hassan, who was sentenced to death for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. He stated, 'In no way can Hassan's actions be condoned, but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered.' Coakley referenced St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, urging against repaying evil with evil. He warned that a public execution would further undermine the moral fabric of the nation and be detrimental to its conscience. He concluded with a prayer for the nation to choose life in difficult circumstances. The Pentagon announced plans to livestream Hassan’s execution by firing squad, scheduled for December 3, 2026, at Fort Hood, Texas. This would be the first execution carried out by the US military since 1961 and the first by firing squad since 1945. Hassan, a former Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and injured 32 others during the Fort Hood shooting on November 5, 2009, and was sentenced to death in 2013. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights criticized the decision, stating that broadcasting an execution live would violate the prohibition of torture.