Archbishop Tells Catholic Soldiers to Refuse Firing Squad Duty

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees the Catholic Church’s pastoral services for U.S. military personnel, has condemned the proposed livestream of the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.

In a statement released Monday, Broglio also directed any Catholic soldiers assigned to Hasan's firing squad to request to be excused from the duty, asserting that participation would contradict church teachings. He joins other Catholic leaders in opposing both the death penalty and the plan to broadcast Hasan's execution, which is scheduled for December 3.

Broglio questioned the purpose of publicly displaying the execution, asking, "The crime committed by Hasan was heinous, but does exposing the public to his execution serve any purpose?"

He further expressed concern about the military's reputation, stating, “The US military generally enjoys a good reputation in the world. 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?"

Broglio presided over the funeral of Michael Grant Cahill, the only civilian killed in the 2009 Fort Hood attack.