Military's archbishop criticizes plan to livestream execution

The leader of the Archdiocese for the Military Services has spoken out strongly against proposals to publicly broadcast the upcoming execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio stated that Catholic service personnel selected to take part in the firing squad should request to be exempted from the duty.

Broglio released a statement expressing his objection to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recent proposal to livestream Hasan's scheduled execution in December. Highlighting Catholic doctrine against capital punishment, the archbishop warned of the emotional and ethical consequences for troops involved in carrying out the sentence. He questioned whether broadcasting the killing of a wheelchair-bound convict compromised human dignity and degraded the standing of the American armed forces.

The Pentagon did not provide an immediate reaction to the archbishop's remarks. Days earlier, Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed on social media that capital punishment is inadmissible and violates personal dignity, releasing the message on the World Day Against the Death Penalty.

Hegseth announced the initiative last week, maintaining that airing the proceedings would demonstrate severe repercussions for violent acts. In 2013, a military court condemned Hasan to death for an attack that claimed 13 lives and wounded over 30 others at the Army post in Texas. Hasan, who served as a military psychiatrist, admitted responsibility during his court-martial, contending he acted to protect insurgents abroad from American troops.

Carrying out the sentence would represent the first military execution of an American citizen since 1961 and the armed services' first firing squad procedure since 1945. Public executions are largely absent from modern domestic legal history, with the last notable open-air execution occurring roughly nine decades ago in Kentucky. Outside the United States, public executions are typically associated with nations such as North Korea, Iran, and Afghanistan.

The proposal to broadcast the event has provoked disapproval across the political spectrum, particularly among Republican lawmakers. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said such actions belong to dictators rather than the United States, while North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer argued capital punishment should not serve as entertainment.

House Speaker Mike Johnson noted to CBS News that multiple Republican colleagues have voiced reservations regarding the plan. Johnson warned that distributing video footage of the execution could inadvertently provide propaganda material for extremist groups. Vice President JD Vance also commented on the matter, indicating that he would decline to watch any resulting broadcast.