The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul Coakley, has condemned plans by the US government to livestream the execution of former Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, describing the decision as a promotion of a “culture of death”.
In a statement issued on Friday, October 9, Coakley called on authorities to reconsider the decision, warning that broadcasting the execution could undermine the country’s moral values.
“In no way can Hassan’s actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered,” he said.
Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others during a shooting at Fort Hood, a US Army installation in Texas, on November 5, 2009.
The former military psychiatrist was sentenced to death by a military jury in 2013 after being found guilty of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.
His execution by firing squad has been scheduled for December 3, 2026. The Pentagon has confirmed that the procedure will be livestreamed, a decision that has triggered criticism from religious leaders, politicians and human rights advocates.
Coakley cited the biblical passage Romans 12:17, which urges people not to repay evil with evil, as he argued against the public broadcast of the execution.
He added that publicly displaying the death of someone convicted of serious crimes could further damage the moral conscience of the nation.
The planned execution would mark the first US military execution by firing squad since 1945 and the first military execution of any kind since 1961, according to reports.
