Archbishop Urges Catholic Soldiers to Refuse Participation in Planned Firing Squad Execution

Catholics serving in the Army should request to be excused from participating in the planned firing squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, according to Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees Catholic pastoral services for the military. Broglio raised objections to the Pentagon's plan to livestream the execution, which is scheduled for December 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. CST. This execution would mark the first by firing squad in the U.S. military since 1945 and the first military execution by any method since 1961. The Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has argued that making the execution public would serve as a deterrent. Broglio expressed concern about whether the U.S. government should create a public spectacle of an execution, questioning its purpose. He stated, "I oblige any Catholics assigned to the firing squad to request to be excused from this action contrary to the teaching of the Church." Army regulations allow soldiers to seek religious exemptions. Broglio's comments follow similar criticisms from other Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Paul Coakley, who described the plan as a "barbaric promotion of a culture of death," and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who called it "truly incomprehensible" and warned against turning death into a spectacle. Pope Leo XIV reiterated the Church's opposition to the death penalty, emphasizing that it violates human dignity. President Donald Trump has not yet decided on the livestream plan, while Vice President JD Vance expressed skepticism about its implementation. Several lawmakers have also opposed the broadcast of the execution, with Sen. Thom Tillis stating that public executions are characteristic of oppressive regimes.