The Hasan execution plan has sparked fresh debate in the United States. A senior Catholic leader has urged Catholic troops to refuse to take part in the planned firing squad execution. He says the act would go against church teaching.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio made the appeal on Monday. He 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, Texas, in 2009. The attack also left many people wounded.
Broglio said Catholic troops assigned to the firing squad should ask to be excused. He said they should not take part in an act that conflicts with their faith.
The archbishop also questioned the need to show the execution to the public. He asked whether the United States wanted to copy the methods of terrorist groups by turning the death of an enemy into a public show.
His comments add to growing criticism of the plan. Lawmakers, rights groups and religious leaders have raised concerns about the proposed broadcast. They warn that showing a state-led killing could raise serious moral issues and harm the image of the US military.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the plan last week. He said the execution would take place on December 3 and would be shown to the public. He argued that the broadcast could help prevent future attacks.
Hegseth said people should see that such crimes carry serious costs. He believes the public display could serve as a warning to others who may consider similar acts of violence.
The plan also calls for military members to carry out the sentence. Hegseth has said he wants the execution to take place at the same time and location as the 2009 attack.
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 put to death after he was found guilty of desertion. He was the only US soldier executed for desertion during that war.
Broglio questioned why service members should be filmed while carrying out Hasan’s death. He warned that the broadcast could hurt the military’s standing in other countries.
The archbishop said the US military generally enjoys a good name around the world. He asked whether showing the execution of a man in a wheelchair could damage that image. He also questioned whether the broadcast could make US troops appear similar to the violent groups they fight.
Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, also spoke against the plan on Monday. He questioned the moral message that a public execution could send, especially to children.
Cupich said the death penalty was unacceptable in every case. He described the planned broadcast as a cruel public display of state power.
He also warned that children could see the footage, even if their parents did not want them to watch it. His comments raised concerns about showing a person’s death as a public event.
Hasan, now 56, was shot by police during the Fort Hood attack. His injuries left him unable to walk, and he now uses a wheelchair. He was later convicted and sentenced to death for the killings.
The planned broadcast has raised wider questions about how the US carries out the death penalty. Supporters of the plan say public access could show the serious results of violent crimes. Critics say a live broadcast may turn a legal punishment into a spectacle.
Some critics also fear the footage could be used by groups hostile to the United States. They warn that the images may help such groups spread anti-US messages or use Hasan as a symbol.
Broglio’s appeal puts the role of Catholic service members at the heart of the debate. His statement asks troops to consider whether taking part in the execution would violate their religious beliefs.
The dispute also raises questions about the duties of military staff who may receive orders to carry out a death sentence. It remains unclear how many service members could be involved or whether any would seek an exemption.
With the planned date set for December 3, the debate over the Hasan execution plan continues. Catholic leaders say the firing squad and the proposed broadcast raise serious moral concerns. Hegseth, meanwhile, has defended the public display as a way to warn others about the cost of violent acts.
