Military Archbishop Tells Catholic Soldiers To Refuse Firing Squad Duty

Archbishop Timothy Broglio has issued a direct order to Catholic soldiers. He tells them to refuse any role in the upcoming execution of Nidal Malik Hasan. This event is set for December 3 at Fort Hood. The Pentagon plans to livestream the death of the man who killed 13 people in 2009.

The Archbishop’s statement came out on Monday. He serves as the head of pastoral services for all Catholics in the U.S. military. According to the New York Post, he raised strong objections to the plan to broadcast the killing. He argued that showing the execution to the public could damage the military’s reputation.

The Archbishop’s Direct Order

Broglio made his stance clear in a written statement. He compared this situation to other grave moral issues within the Church. “As I would in the case of a procured abortion, I oblige any Catholics assigned to the firing squad to request to be excused from this action contrary to the teaching of the Church,” he said. This is a rare and forceful use of church authority to stop soldiers from following orders.

He noted that the crime was terrible. Hasan shot 13 people and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood in 2009. Yet the Archbishop questioned the need for a public show. Exposing the public to Hasan’s heinous crime execution serves no purpose, yet his act was heinous. Broglio asked in a statement. He worried the government might look like the very terrorists it fights.

Plans for the Execution

The details of the event are now public. The U.S. Army confirmed Hasan will die at Fort Hood on December 3 at 1 p.m. CST. This would be the first execution by firing squad for the U.S. military since 1945. It is also the first military execution by any method since 1961. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said he wants the soldiers to carry out the death on the same day and at the same spot as the original attack.

Hegseth contended that publicizing the execution would prevent future crimes. However, the method of choosing soldiers for the firing squad remains unclear. “It is unclear how the military intends to select members for the firing squad,” the New York Post reported. Broglio noted that the military usually has a good name. “The U.S. military generally enjoys a good reputation in the world,” Broglio said. He asked if broadcasting a man in a wheelchair would ruin that standing.

Other Religious Leaders Speak Out

Broglio is not the only leader speaking up. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops also criticized the plan. Breitbart reported claims that livestreaming the event would “undermine the moral fabric of our nation and be a blight on the conscience of its people”. Archbishop Paul Coakley, the head of the bishops, expressed shock and sorrow over the decision.

Coakley urged the government to rethink the plan. “In no way can Hasan’s actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered,” he said in a statement. The Archbishop also asked for protection for young viewers. He urged individuals of good will to shield the young and impressionable from viewing the live stream. Army rules do allow soldiers to ask for religious reasons to be excused from certain tasks.