The Hasan execution plan has drawn strong criticism from senior Catholic leaders in the United States. Archbishop Timothy Broglio has urged Catholic members of the US military to refuse to take part in the planned firing squad execution. He said the act would go against the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Broglio made the appeal on Monday. His statement raised concerns about plans to livestream the death of Nidal Hasan, a former US Army major. Hasan killed 13 people in a shooting at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009. He was also wounded by police during the attack and now uses a wheelchair.
Broglio called on Catholic service members who may be assigned to the firing squad to ask for an exemption. He said they should not take part in an act that conflicts with their faith.
The archbishop also questioned why the US would show the killing to people around the world. He asked whether the country wanted to copy the actions of terrorist groups by making the death of an enemy a public show.
The plan has caused concern among lawmakers, rights groups and religious leaders. Critics say a live broadcast of an execution would raise serious moral questions. They also warn that armed groups hostile to the US could use the footage to spread anti-American messages.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the plan last week. He said the execution would take place on December 3 and be shown to the public. He argued that the broadcast could help deter future attacks by showing the serious results of such crimes.
Hegseth has also said he wants the execution to take place at the same time and location as the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. His plan would use military personnel to carry out the death sentence.
He pointed to the use of firing squads during World War II. The last US military execution by firing squad took place in 1945. Army soldier Eddie Slovik was executed after being found guilty of desertion. He remains the only US soldier executed for abandoning his post during World War II.
Broglio questioned the value of placing military members in front of cameras as they carry out Hasan’s death. He warned that the broadcast could damage the reputation of the US armed forces in other countries.
He said the military generally has a good name around the world. He asked whether showing the execution of a man in a wheelchair would put US service members in the same group as terrorists in the eyes of viewers.
The archbishop’s comments add to growing opposition from Catholic leaders. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, also spoke out against the plan on Monday.
Cupich said the death penalty was unacceptable in every case. He described the planned broadcast as a cruel public act and questioned what message it would send to children.
He warned that children could see the footage, even if their parents did not want them to watch it. His comments focused on the risk of making a state-led killing a form of public entertainment.
The debate has raised wider questions about the purpose of public executions. Supporters of the plan say showing the death could serve as a warning to others. Critics argue that such a broadcast may turn a legal punishment into a spectacle.
They also question whether the footage could help groups that seek to recruit people through anger at the United States. Hasan’s case is linked to one of the deadliest attacks on a US military base, which gives the planned broadcast added weight.
The Fort Hood shooting took place in 2009. Hasan opened fire at the Texas Army base, killing 13 people and wounding others. Police shot him during the attack, leaving him with lasting injuries. He was later convicted and sentenced to death.
The planned execution has also raised questions about the role of military staff in carrying out the sentence. Broglio’s appeal places a clear focus on the duties of Catholic service members who may be ordered to take part.
His statement asks them to consider whether carrying out the order would conflict with their religious beliefs. It also challenges military leaders to explain why the execution should be shown to the public.
The December 3 plan remains a point of dispute. Catholic leaders say the use of a firing squad and a public broadcast raises deep moral concerns. Military officials have presented the plan as a way to show the cost of serious violence.
As the date approaches, the debate is likely to remain focused on whether a public execution can serve as a warning without harming the values and image the United States says it seeks to defend.
