Nidal Hasan execution: US archbishop urges Catholic soldiers to refuse firing squad

Archbishop Timothy Broglio has urged Catholic soldiers to seek exemption from Nidal Hasan's planned firing squad execution and criticised moves to livestream it. The intervention has intensified a wider row over religion, public spectacle and the US military's image.Nidal Hasan, killed 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009.A prominent US archbishop has urged Catholic soldiers in the US Army to refuse participation in the planned firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, raising strong objections to the Pentagon's proposal to livestream the execution in December.Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees the spiritual care of Catholic members of the US armed forces, questioned the morality of broadcasting the execution of Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009. In an unusually strongly worded statement on Monday, Broglio condemned the shooting but questioned whether the US should turn the execution into a public spectacle."I oblige any Catholics assigned to the firing squad to request to be excused from this action contrary to the teaching of the Church," Broglio said.The archbishop, who was born in Ohio, said he had presided over the funeral of one of Hasan's victims. However, he questioned whether the US wanted to "imitate the terrorists of this world and make a public spectacle of barbarically killing our adversaries". US Army regulations allow soldiers to seek religious exemptions or accommodations. However, the military has yet to clarify how it plans to select members of the firing squad for the execution.The controversy erupted after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans last week to livestream Hasan's execution, drawing criticism from Republican lawmakers, religious leaders and international observers. US President Donald Trump has approved Hasan's execution by firing squad but has said he is still deciding whether to allow the broadcast to proceed. The proposed livestream would be unprecedented. According to death penalty experts, no government execution has ever been broadcast or livestreamed. The US military has also not carried out an execution by firing squad since 1945.Hasan, now 56, was convicted for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, in which he killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others. He was shot by police during his arrest and now requires a wheelchair.Hegseth has said he wants Hasan to be executed at the same time, on the same day of the week and at the same location as the shooting spree. He has argued that making the execution public could serve as a deterrent.Broglio, however, questioned whether officials had considered the potential impact of broadcasting an execution on young viewers. He also warned that the move could damage the reputation of the US military."Really a value to throwing them in the same boat with terrorists by broadcasting the image of the execution of a man in a wheelchair to the whole world," he asked.The archbishop's statement came shortly after he met Pope Leo in Rome on Monday. The Pope has clashed with Trump and his administration over several issues, including the war in Iran. On Saturday, Leo condemned the death penalty, although he did not specifically refer to Hasan's case.US Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism, has also weighed in on the controversy. Vance said that if the execution is ultimately livestreamed, he would not watch it.- Ends