US Catholic Bishop Says Catholic Military Members Should Not Take Part in Firing Squads

Archbishop Timothy Broglio Says U.S. Plan to Livestream Execution of Fort Hood Attacker Contradicts Church Teaching

U.S. Archbishop Timothy Broglio has urged Catholics in the nation's armed forces not to participate in a planned public execution by firing squad, saying it would violate church teachings.

Broglio issued a strong statement Monday outlining a series of concerns about the U.S. military's plan to live-stream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major who killed 13 people in a 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.

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Broglio said: "I charge every Catholic who is assigned to the firing squad to be exempted from this action against the teachings of the Church.

He also questioned whether America wants to "imitate the terrorists of this world and make a public display of the brutal killing of our enemies."

The live broadcast of the execution on December 3 was announced last week by Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett, who described the show as "disturbing".

"We're going to make sure people can watch it, it's public, because people need to understand that this kind of thing has serious consequences," Hexett told the right-wing outlet Real America's Voice.

But the proposal has drawn backlash from lawmakers, human rights groups and critics who warn that a public execution is not only immoral but could also be used as anti-US propaganda.

Hassan, now 56, was shot by police in the 2009 attack at Fort Hood and is now in a wheelchair. Critics worry that a live broadcast of Hassan's death could make him a symbol for armed groups that may be hostile to the United States.

Cardinal Blase J Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, also condemned the plan to live-stream the execution in a social media post on Monday, questioning the example it could set for children.

He said: "The death penalty is unacceptable in any case. "The scheduled broadcast of a firing squad murder is nothing more than theatrical barbarism. Do we really want our children, who are forced to watch it, to be exposed to the pornography of a state-sponsored murder?"

Hegseth has said he wants the execution to take place at the same time and place as the 2009 shooting, and has described the use of members of the military to carry out the executions.

"It wasn't until World War II that we did it," Hexett said of the firing squad. "Well, I like the mentality we had in World War II, which was win."

The last US military execution by firing squad was that of Eddie Slowik, who was convicted of desertion in 1945. He was the only American soldier who served such a sentence for deserting his post.

In Monday's statement, Broglio also questioned why service members were being questioned on camera for the execution of Hasan's death. He pointed out that it could damage the image of the US military abroad.

"The US military generally enjoys a good reputation in the world," Broglio wrote. Is it really worth it to throw them in the same boat as terrorists by showing the whole world the execution of a man in a wheelchair?

Pope Leo also issued a statement on Saturday condemning the death penalty without referring to Hassan's case.

In a message on social networks, he said: "The death penalty is unacceptable, because it is an attack on a person's immunity and dignity.

"The public good can be protected and the requirements of justice met without resorting to the death penalty: effective systems of detention have been developed that protect citizens while not completely denying the possibility of redemption to those who are guilty."

US President Donald Trump, who oversaw an unprecedented increase in federal executions during his first term, approved Hasan's execution.

However, on Saturday, he revealed that he has no decision to go live.

Trump told reporters: "There are two thoughts: don't show it and show it." "I will decide."

Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has emphasized increasing the use of the federal death penalty. In April, he also approved additional methods of carrying out the death penalty, including the firing squad.

In the past, Trump has also floated the death penalty as a punishment for crimes ranging from drug trafficking to sedition, a term he has used against political rivals.