Archbishop urges Catholic soldiers to refuse participation in execution broadcast

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees pastoral care for Catholic personnel in the U.S. military, publicly condemned the plan to air a live execution carried out by a firing squad. He said the act of broadcasting the death of a prisoner, who uses a wheelchair, would tarnish the military's reputation and clash with Catholic doctrine. Broglio urged Catholic soldiers to seek exemption from any assignment that might involve the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former military psychiatrist convicted for the 2009 Fort Hood attack.

While describing the attack as abhorrent, he emphasized that exposing the public to graphic images of the execution serves no clear purpose. The archbishop's remarks align with other Catholic leaders who oppose the death penalty and the proposed live transmission.