U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Condemns Pentagon’s ‘Barbaric’ Decision to Livestream Execution

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), issued a statement Friday expressing “shock and great sorrow” over the Pentagon’s decision to livestream the upcoming execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan by firing squad. As National Review’s Jim Geraghty noted, the planned broadcast raises questions about compliance with Army regulations prohibiting minors from witnessing executions.

Archbishop Coakley stated that while “in no way can Hasan’s actions be condoned,” the decision is a “barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered.” He added, “The public execution even of one who has done grave harm will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation and be a blight on the conscience of its people.”

The Catholic Church opposes capital punishment, which Pope Francis declared “inadmissible” in a 2018 revision to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Coakley has previously called for an end to federal executions.

Secretary Hegseth confirmed in a Thursday interview with Real America’s Voice that “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public.” Hasan’s execution would be the first carried out by the U.S. military since 1961, and the first by firing squad since World War II.

Vice President JD Vance expressed doubts Friday about the Pentagon’s plans to livestream Hasan’s execution. Speaking to reporters in Lima, Ohio, Vance said he would not watch the broadcast.

A former Army major and psychiatrist, Hasan was convicted of a November 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas. His attack killed 12 active-duty U.S. military personnel and one civilian employee. Thirty-two others were wounded.

At his 2013 court-martial, Hasan, who represented himself, claimed to have switched sides in the War in Afghanistan, identifying himself as a mujahideen.

Mark Wingfield, executive director and publisher of Baptist News Global, also criticized the plan, warning that “those who live by the sword will die by the sword. Not my words, and not my wish; just the words of Jesus.”

The decision to livestream Hasan’s execution has also received bipartisan disapproval. Senator Thom Tillis (R., N.C.) described it as “what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do.” Representative Adam Smith (D., Wash.), the House Armed Services Committee ranking member, called the decision “disturbing” and imploring that “we are a democratic country and should take the rule of law seriously, not turn it into a spectacle.”

According to U.S. Army Public Affairs, the execution “will take place at Fort Hood, Texas at 1 p.m. CST on Dec. 3, 2026.” The execution could be delayed if Hasan files a petition for a writ of habeas corpus.