Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the Catholic prelate responsible for pastoral care of U.S. military personnel, urged Catholic soldiers on Monday to request exemption from any role in the planned firing squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. Broglio's statement adds a prominent military voice to a widening circle of religious and political leaders opposing the Pentagon's proposal to broadcast the execution live.
Hasan, 56, is scheduled to be executed at Fort Hood on Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. CST, according to the U.S. Army. The execution would be the first carried out by firing squad in the U.S. military since 1945 and the first military execution by any method since 1961. Hasan, who uses a wheelchair after being shot by responding officers during the attack, was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others at the Texas base.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said he wants the execution to take place on the same date, day of the week and at the same location as the 2009 shooting, arguing that a public execution would serve as a deterrent. The plan to livestream the proceedings would be unprecedented; no U.S. government execution has ever been broadcast to the public.
In his statement, Broglio recalled presiding over the funeral of Michael Grant Cahill, the only civilian killed in the attack, and expressed deep sorrow over the shooting. But he questioned the government's approach. «His crime was heinous, but does exposing the public to his execution serve any purpose?» Broglio asked. «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 permit soldiers to seek religious exemptions or accommodations, though it remains unclear how the military will select firing squad members.
Broglio also challenged the wisdom of broadcasting the execution. «The U.S. military generally enjoys a good reputation in the world,» he said. «Is there really a value to throwing them in the same boat with terrorists by broadcasting the image of the execution of a man in a wheelchair to the whole world?» He asked whether the U.S. government wanted to «imitate the terrorists of this world and make a public spectacle of barbarically killing our adversaries.»
The archbishop's intervention follows sharp criticism from other Catholic leaders. Archbishop Paul Coakley, head of the U.S. bishops conference, said he was shocked and deeply saddened by the plan. «In no way can Hasan's actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered,» Coakley said Friday. «The public execution even of one who has done grave harm will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation and be a blight on the conscience of its people.»
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, called the proposed broadcast «truly incomprehensible» and warned that «it is unacceptable to turn death into a spectacle.» He reiterated the Church's total opposition to capital punishment, saying it is incompatible with human dignity and serves as no deterrent. Pope Leo XIV echoed that teaching on Saturday, writing on social media that «the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.» The pope, the first American to lead the Church, did not specifically mention Hasan's case.
Political reaction has also been mixed. President Donald Trump said Saturday he had not yet decided whether to allow the livestream, though he has reportedly expressed private doubts. Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, said he would not watch the broadcast and questioned whether the Pentagon would proceed. Several lawmakers, including Republicans, have spoken out. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Thursday that «public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America.»