Broglio questions value of broadcasting Hasan execution publicly
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees the spiritual care of Catholics serving in the US military, said in a Monday statement that any Catholic soldier assigned to the Army firing squad set to execute Nidal Hasan should ask to be excused from the duty, which he described as contrary to the teachings of the church. Broglio also condemned the Pentagon’s plans to livestream the execution, joining other Catholic leaders who have spoken out against the death penalty and the livestream plans.
In his statement, Broglio asked whether broadcasting the execution served any purpose. “The crime committed by Hasan was heinous,” Broglio said, “but does exposing the public to his execution serve any purpose?” He also noted that “the US military generally enjoys a good reputation in the world” and asked “is there 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?”
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 people in a 2009 attack at Fort Hood, Texas. He is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on 3 December.
The Pentagon’s plan to broadcast the execution was announced last week by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said the execution would be public. The Pentagon later confirmed the execution would be livestreamed.
Broglio recalled presiding over the funeral of Michael Grant Cahill, the only civilian killed in the Fort Hood attack.