Catholic and Methodist leaders condemn livestreamed firing squad execution plan

Roman Catholic and United Methodist leaders have condemned the planned livestreamed execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people and wounding 30 others at Fort Hood in 2009. The United Methodist bishops, led by Ruben Saenz, president of the Council of United Methodist Bishops, expressed concern that broadcasting the execution would dishonor the victims and contradict the gospel message. “Turning the death of a human being into a public broadcast does not honor the victims. It coarsens the conscience of a people and contradicts the gospel we proclaim,” Saenz stated.

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the U.S. military’s top Catholic leader, issued a strong condemnation of the execution plan, emphasizing that it violates Catholic teachings. “Any Catholics assigned to the firing squad are obliged to request to be excused from this action, which is contrary to the teaching of the church,” Broglio said. He urged Catholic soldiers not to participate in the execution, citing the Catholic Church’s longstanding opposition to capital punishment. “The dignity of the human person is at stake,” he explained, echoing Pope Francis’s recent statement that the death penalty is inadmissible as it attacks the inviolability and dignity of the person.

Broglio also criticized the idea of livestreaming the execution, calling it a “public spectacle” that risks moral injury for those involved. “Do we really want to imitate the terrorists of this world and make a public spectacle of barbarically killing our adversaries?” he asked. The Catholic Church has consistently opposed the death penalty, arguing that justice can be achieved without resorting to lethal force. “Effective systems of detention have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption,” the pope wrote on World Day Against the Death Penalty.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, also condemned the plan to livestream Hasan’s execution, stating that turning death into a spectacle is unacceptable. “However guilty the person may be, there are other ways,” Parolin said. Both the Catholic Church and the United Methodist Church have emphasized the importance of upholding human dignity, even in the face of serious crime. Their statements reflect a shared commitment to justice, mercy, and the sanctity of life, aligning with biblical principles such as Micah 6:8, which calls for acting with justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God.

The Methodist bishops urged U.S. leaders to end the plans for a livestreamed execution, emphasizing that such actions contradict the values of the gospel. “We urge U.S. leaders to end plans for a livestreamed execution,” Saenz said. The United Methodist Church, like the Catholic Church, opposes the death penalty and advocates for restorative justice. Their collective condemnation highlights a moral stance rooted in the belief that the value of human life must always be respected, even in the most difficult circumstances. This aligns with the biblical call to seek peace and justice, as described in Romans 12:18, which encourages believers to live in harmony and do good to all people.

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