Archbishop Urges Catholic Troops to Avoid Firing Squad Duty in Hasan Execution
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who leads Catholic pastoral services for the U.S. military, condemned plans to livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan. He said Catholic soldiers assigned to the firing squad should ask to be excused because the duty conflicts with church teachings. Hasan, an Army psychiatrist convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, is scheduled to be executed on Dec. 3.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio oversees Catholic pastoral services for Catholics in the U.S. military. He condemned plans to broadcast Nidal Hasan’s scheduled Dec. 3 firing-squad execution. Broglio said Catholic soldiers assigned to the firing squad should request excusal because the duty conflicts with church teachings. Other Catholic leaders have also opposed the death penalty and the livestream plans.
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that killed 13 people. Broglio recalled presiding at the funeral of Michael Grant Cahill, the only civilian killed. Broglio asked whether public exposure to the execution serves a purpose and whether broadcasting it could harm the military’s global reputation.
The archbishop’s guidance may affect Catholic service members who could be ordered to take part in executions, giving them a religious basis to seek excusal. It could also intensify public debate over media access to executions and the military’s role, potentially influencing how officials handle the Dec. 3 event. Families of Fort Hood victims and broader audiences may experience renewed attention to the attack and its aftermath, though effects remain uncertain.