Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees the Catholic Church’s pastoral services to Catholics in the U.S. military, condemns live broadcast offered of the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan.
Broglio, in a statement Monday, also stipulated that any Catholic soldier assigned to the U.S. military’s firing squad should ask to be excused from the task, which he called contrary to Church teachings. He joins other Catholic leaders denouncing the death penalty and live broadcast plans.
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people in 2009 at Fort Hood, Texas, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3.
Broglio recalled that he presided over the funeral of Michael Grant Cahill, the only civilian killed in that attack.
The crime committed by Hasan “was heinous, but does exposing the public to his execution serve any purpose? » asked Broglio.
“The U.S. military generally has a good reputation around the world,” Broglio added. “Is there really any point in putting them in the same boat as terrorists by broadcasting to the whole world the image of the execution of a man in a wheelchair?
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