Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, and Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued separate statements on Monday, October 12, 2026, and Friday, October 9, 2026, respectively, opposing the Trump administration's plan to livestream the military execution of Nidal Malik Hasan. Broglio urged Catholic service members assigned to the firing squad to request to be excused, stating the broadcast could "imitate the terrorists of this world."
The statements follow an announcement by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday, October 8, 2026, that Hasan's execution would be made public and streamed on December 3, 2026, at Fort Hood, Texas. Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to death for killing 13 people and injuring more than 30 during a 2009 shooting at the Army installation. Secretary Hegseth stated the public nature of the event would demonstrate "serious consequences" for such crimes, while Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin described the decision as "restoring American values."
Broglio and Coakley cited the Catholic Church's opposition to capital punishment, with Coakley warning that the broadcast would promote a "culture of death." Broglio specifically questioned the "moral injury" that firing squad members might experience and the impact on "young and impressionable" viewers. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also criticized the decision, telling AFP that broadcasting an execution would violate the prohibition of torture.
The scale of the impact includes millions of potential viewers through the proposed livestream on December 3, 2026. Critics, including Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), warned the broadcast could serve as a recruiting tool for extremist groups. Conversely, Secretary Mullin stated the punishment "fits the crime" for those who attack the United States. The decision marks a shift from modern U.S. protocol, where the last large-scale public execution occurred in 1936 in Kentucky, potentially setting a precedent for how the federal government handles future military or civilian capital cases.
The immediate next steps involve the scheduled execution date of Thursday, December 3, 2026, at Fort Hood. However, Archbishop Coakley noted that further legal proceedings could delay this timeline. Speaker Johnson indicated he plans to bring the concerns of his colleagues to the White House to discuss the policy implications before the December deadline. Any Catholic members of the firing squad who follow the archbishop's advice will need to submit formal requests to be excused from their assignment.