Military Archbishop Opposes Hegseth’s Plan to Livestream Execution
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio urged Catholic service members to seek excusal from the firing squad for Nidal Malik Hasan’s execution and to avoid watching the planned livestream. Broglio cited church teaching against capital punishment and criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan as making a public spectacle of killing. Trump cleared the military to execute Hasan by firing squad, and Hegseth said the December 23 event would be livestreamed.
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, a military archbishop, told Catholic service members they should ask to be removed from any firing squad for Nidal Malik Hasan’s scheduled execution. He also advised them not to view the planned broadcast, citing Catholic opposition to the death penalty.
Hasan, then an Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded 32 at Fort Hood in 2009. President Donald Trump authorized a firing-squad execution, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the December 23 event would be streamed. Broglio questioned whether broadcasting it could harm firing-squad members or younger viewers and damage the military’s image.
This dispute may deepen public scrutiny of how the military carries out executions and how religious teaching interacts with military duty. Catholic service members could face difficult choices about participation, while firing-squad personnel may experience lasting moral strain. A livestream could affect public perceptions of the armed forces and expose younger viewers to an execution. Streaming platforms and victims’ families may also confront renewed attention, debate, and emotional strain as the December 23 date approaches.