Pope says death penalty ‘inadmissible’ as US plans to livestream execution

Pope Leo XIV has declared capital punishment inadmissible, as the United States prepares to livestream an execution by firing squad. The Pope, through his official X account, @Pontifex, referenced the revised Catholic teachings on capital punishment issued by his predecessor, Pope Francis. These teachings state that capital punishment violates the inherent dignity of a human being and fails to meet the requirements of justice. Effective detention systems exist that protect citizens without resorting to capital punishment.

The U.S. Defense Department announced that Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, would be executed by firing squad on December 3. This will be the first U.S. military execution since 1961. The decision to broadcast the execution in real-time has sparked widespread criticism. In his post, Pope Leo XIV did not specifically reference the planned execution in the U.S., nor the botched lethal injection of Christa Pike in Tennessee, which reignited debate over the death penalty in the United States.

However, it is customary for the Pope's social media accounts to post messages on such occasions, like the World Day Against the Death Penalty.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, explicitly condemned the planned public execution in the U.S. He described it as "truly incomprehensible" and "unacceptable" to turn death into a spectacle. Cardinal Parolin emphasized that the Church's position is a total opposition to the death penalty, as it is incompatible with human dignity and serves no deterrent purpose.

The head of the U.S. bishops conference, Archbishop Paul Coakley, expressed shock and deep sorrow over the Pentagon's plans. He stated that while Hasan's actions cannot be condoned, this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered. The public execution of even a grave offender will further undermine the moral fabric of the nation and be a blight on its conscience.

President Trump, who has previously expressed support for the death penalty, said he approves of Hasan's execution by firing squad. He stated that he does not care how Hasan goes, as long as he dies. Trump did not specify whether he would watch the execution or if it would be livestreamed. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, suggested that he would not watch the livestream and questioned whether it would actually take place.