The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops condemned on Friday the Trump administration’s plan to livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan on Dec. 3.
“It is with shock and great sorrow that I have learned of the Department of War’s decision to publicly livestream the execution of Nidal Hassan. Our God is the God of life,” Archbishop and USCCB president Paul Coakley wrote in a statement. “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. The word of God exhorts us: ‘do not repay anyone evil for evil’ (Romans 12:17).”
In 2013, Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring dozens more at Fort Hood in a 2009 shooting rampage. War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that Hasan would be executed by firing squad in December and that the public would be able to watch. The Pentagon has not clarified where exactly the execution will be broadcast.
“People need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things,” Hegseth told reporters Thursday, adding that the choice to execute Hasan by firing squad was a no-brainer.
The Conference of Catholic Bishops disagreed, however.
“The public execution even of one who has done grave harm will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation and be a blight on the conscience of its people,” said Coakley. “I pray for the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel that we as a nation may always choose life even in the most trying times and circumstances.”
President Donald Trump has made the return of the federal death penalty a core focus of his bid to crack down on violent crime and terrorism during his second term in office. Trump signed off on Hasan’s execution by firing squad earlier this week, according to the Pentagon.
IS TRUMP’S SON-IN-LAW AND TOP NEGOTIATOR A MIDTERM LIABILITY FOR REPUBLICANS
Hasan’s execution is scheduled for Dec. 3. He’ll be killed during the 1 p.m. hour, which is the same time of day as when he committed the shooting at Fort Hood on Nov. 5, 2009. The event will be the first American military execution since 1961 and the first by firing squad since World War II.