U.S. Military Archbishop Urges Catholic Soldiers to Seek Exemption from Hasan Execution

U.S. Military Archbishop Urges Catholic Soldiers to Seek Exemption from Hasan Execution
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Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees Catholic pastoral care for U.S. military personnel, has urged Catholic soldiers assigned to the planned firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan to request exemption on religious grounds. In a statement issued on October 12, Broglio said participation would conflict with Catholic Church teachings and questioned the plan to livestream the execution.

Hasan, a former U.S. Army psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 people and attempting to kill 32 others in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas. His execution is scheduled for December 3, 2026, and the proposed broadcast has drawn criticism from religious leaders over human dignity, the morality of capital punishment and the potential impact of publicly displaying an execution.