Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees pastoral services for Catholics in the U.S. military, has publicly opposed the planned execution of Nidal Hasan and the U.S. military’s intention to live-stream the event. Hasan, an Army psychiatrist convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that killed 13 people, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3 at the Pentagon.

In a statement issued in mid-October, Broglio urged that any Catholic soldiers assigned to the firing squad seek exemption from the duty, which he described as incompatible with Catholic teachings. Broglio, who presided over the funeral of Michael Grant Cahill, the only civilian killed in the attack, questioned the necessity and impact of broadcasting the execution to the public. He expressed concern that live-streaming the death would equate the U.S. military with terrorists and diminish its global reputation, especially since Hasan will be executed in a wheelchair due to injuries sustained during his arrest.

The decision to execute Hasan by firing squad, a method rarely used by the U.S. military—the last such execution occurred in 1945—has sparked debate within religious and political circles. U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the livestream plans, arguing that a public execution would foster deterrence by making visible the consequences of such crimes. However, President Donald Trump, who approved the execution method, has yet to finalize whether the live broadcast will proceed following backlash from Republican lawmakers, religious leaders, and international observers.

The U.S. Army has not specified how members of the firing squad will be selected, though military regulations allow soldiers to request religious accommodations. Archbishop Broglio’s call for Catholic soldiers to avoid participation draws on these provisions.

Broglio’s statement came shortly after his meeting with Pope Leo in Rome on October 12. While the Pope has condemned the death penalty broadly, he has not commented specifically on Hasan’s case. Some Catholic public figures, including U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, have expressed personal opposition to viewing the livestream should it occur.

The planned execution and its potential broadcast are seen as unprecedented steps in the history of U.S. government executions, raising questions about the ethical and psychological effects on viewers and the message such a public display sends both domestically and internationally.