US Bishops' Conference President Condemns Planned Live Military Execution as Promotion of Death Culture

man wearing black t-shirt close-up photography — Felicia Buitenwerf / Unsplash

The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has publicly criticized a decision by the Department of Defense to broadcast a military execution live. Archbishop Paul Stagg Coakley described the planned firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan as a barbaric promotion of a culture of death that requires reconsideration. The statement was issued in response to the Pentagon's announcement regarding the former army major convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood massacre.

Archbishop Coakley expressed deep consternation and pain over the directive, which received approval from President Donald Trump following recommendations from Pentagon leadership. The prelate cited scriptural exhortations against returning evil for evil and argued that a public execution would damage the moral fabric of the nation. He compared the potential impact on the national conscience to rust and concluded his remarks by calling for the country to choose life even in difficult circumstances through the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel.

Nidal Hasan, a former army psychiatrist, was convicted of opening fire at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood in Texas. The attack resulted in the deaths of thirteen individuals and injuries to thirty-two others. The Department of Defense stated that if no legal appeals are filed, the execution is scheduled to take place on December 3 at the same military base where the violence occurred. Legal proceedings could significantly extend the timeline if the condemned man chooses to file a recourse.

This event marks a potential historical milestone for the United States military justice system. If carried out as scheduled, it would be the first execution conducted by the US armed forces since 1961. Furthermore, it would represent the first use of a firing squad as the method of execution by the military since 1945. The decision to stream the procedure live has drawn specific attention from religious leaders who view the act as contrary to the sanctity of life.