Pope Leo declares death penalty ‘inadmissible’ as his native U.S. plans to livestream execution

Pope Leo XVI declared capital punishment "inadmissible" on Saturday, coinciding with World Day Against the Death Penalty, while the United States announced plans to livestream an execution by firing squad. Pope Leo, using his official X account, @Pontifex, quoted the revised Catholic teaching on capital punishment introduced by Pope Francis, stating that the death penalty violates the inherent dignity of a human being.

He argued that effective detention systems protect citizens and allow for redemption without resorting to capital punishment. The U.S. Defense Department announced the firing squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, would be livestreamed on December 3. Just hours prior, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, explicitly stated that the planned U.S. public execution was "unacceptable."

Pope Francis had previously amended official Catholic teaching in 2018, declaring capital punishment "inadmissible" in all circumstances. The 2018 amendment replaced the previous stance that the church didn't exclude the use of capital punishment if it was the only way to effectively defend human lives against unjust aggressors.

Pope Leo emphasized that the proposed execution was "truly incomprehensible" and "unacceptable," suggesting it turned death into a spectacle. The head of the U.S. bishops conference, Archbishop Paul Coakley, expressed shock and sorrow over the Pentagon's decision, stating that it promoted a culture of death and must be reconsidered.