{
  "id": 13480198,
  "title": "Pope Leo decries death penalty as Hegseth's public execution plan sparks backlash",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/pope-leo-decries-death-penalty-as-hegseths-public-execution-plan",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-10T17:37:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hill",
    "slug": "the-hill",
    "url": "https://thehill.com/policy/international/6140669-pope-decries-death-penalty/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Pope Leo XIV has stated that the death penalty is \"inadmissible\" as it attacks the inviolability and dignity of a person. In a post on social media, the pontiff said that the common good can be safeguarded and justice met without recourse to capital punishment. He added that effective systems of detention have been developed that protect citizens while allowing those guilty of crimes the possibility of redemption.\n\nThe Pope's comments come as the US plans to livestream the execution by firing squad of Nidal Malik Hasan, a former Army Major convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others at the Fort Hood military base in 2009. According to The Hill and CBS News, Hasan is set to be executed on December 3. The plan to livestream the execution has drawn opposition from lawmakers, including some Republicans, and international observers, as reported by Investing.com.\n\nThe Catholic teaching on capital punishment, revised under Pope Francis, states that the death penalty is an attack on the inherent dignity of a human being. Pope Leo XIV's comments were made on the World Day Against the Death Penalty, and he did not directly refer to the planned execution or a recent botched lethal injection in Tennessee, which has reignited debate over the death penalty in the US.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Newsweek",
        "title": "Pope Attacks Death Penalty as US Plans Livestream Execution: 'Inadmissible'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/pope-attacks-death-penalty-as-us-plans-livestream-execution",
        "published": "2026-10-10T13:44:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CityNews",
        "title": "Pope Leo declares death penalty ‘inadmissible’ as his native U.S. plans to livestream execution",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/pope-leo-declares-death-penalty-inadmissible-as-his-native-u-s-plans",
        "published": "2026-10-10T13:47:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Pope says death penalty \"inadmissible\" amid U.S. plans to livestream execution",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/pope-says-death-penalty-inadmissible-amid-u-s-plans-to-livestream",
        "published": "2026-10-10T15:28:45.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "Pope Leo condemns death penalty, Vance vows not to watch Hasan’s execution live",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/pope-leo-condemns-death-penalty-vance-vows-not-to-watch-hasans",
        "published": "2026-10-10T16:12:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Pope says death penalty ‘inadmissible’ as US plans to livestream execution",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/pope-says-death-penalty-inadmissible-as-us-plans-to-livestream",
        "published": "2026-10-10T17:38:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Island Sri Lanka",
        "title": "Pope says death penalty ‘inadmissible’ as US plans to livestream execution",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/pope-says-death-penalty-inadmissible-as-us-plans-to-livestream-13552558",
        "published": "2026-10-10T21:58:43.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}