Fastrack · Archbishop Says Catholic Soldiers Should Not Serve on Firing Squads

Archbishop Timothy Broglio said Monday that Catholic soldiers should ask to be excused from Nidal Hasan's firing squad. He also condemned plans to livestream the execution.

13 people were killed in Hasan's 2009 Fort Hood attack.
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, is set to face a firing squad Dec. 3.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced last week the execution would be public.
The Pentagon later confirmed the execution would be livestreamed.

Why it matters: Broglio oversees the Catholic Church's pastoral services to U.S. service members. He called firing squad duty contrary to church teaching.

Broglio said the crime "was heinous, but does exposing the public to his execution serve any purpose?"
He said broadcasting it risks putting the military "in the same boat with terrorists."

How 13 sources split on this story

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Coverage by lean% of 13 sources

13 sources · 13 articles · 46% Left coverage

Center coverage, 4 sources: The center ties the firing squad directly to Hegseth, casting the objection as a challenge to the defense secretary.

NOTUS3hU.S. Archbishop Says Catholic Soldiers Should Not Serve on Hegseth’s Firing Squad - The Washington Sun Army Times2hCatholics in US Army must not participate in firing squad, prominent archbishop says Associated Press5hArchbishop of the U.S. military says Catholic soldiers should not serve on firing squad Reuters3hCatholics in US Army must not participate in firing squad, prominent archbishop says

Left coverage, 6 sources: The left frames the story around the archbishop's moral objection, with The Guardian centering the Pentagon's livestream plan.

The Guardian2hArchbishop of US military condemns Pentagon plans to livestream execution Los Angeles Times2hArchbishop of the U.S. military says Catholic soldiers should not serve on firing squad ABC News4hArchbishop of US military says Catholic soldiers should not serve on firing squad CBS News2hMilitary's archbishop likens plan to livestream execution to "terrorists…barbarically killing our adversaries"Political Wire1hCatholic Soldiers Told to Refuse Firing Squad Duty Politico4hArchbishop of the US military says Catholic soldiers should not serve on firing squad

Right3 sources

Newsmax4hArchbishop of US Military: Catholic Troops Should Avoid Firing Squad The Washington Times5hArchbishop of the U.S. military says Catholic soldiers should not serve on firing squad Washington Examiner2hMilitary archbishop urges Catholic soldiers' recusal from firing squad

What’s next: Broglio joins other Catholic leaders opposing the death penalty and the livestream plan.

Will the Army excuse Catholic soldiers who ask to be removed from the firing squad?
Will the Pentagon change its livestream plan in response to religious objections?