“Inadmissible”: Pope Leo XIV condemns the death penalty as the Pentagon plans to livestream Nidal Hasan’s scheduled execution
Pope Leo XIV reiterated the Catholic Church’s opposition to capital punishment on Saturday, writing that it attacks the “inviolability and dignity” of the person. His post, marking the World Day Against the Death Penalty, said justice and the common good can be upheld without executions, and that detention can protect the public while leaving room for offenders’ redemption.
The remarks came as the Pentagon plans to livestream the Dec. 3 firing-squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 in a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. Leo did not refer specifically to Hasan’s case in his post.
The Catholic Church’s official teaching was revised in 2018 to describe the death penalty as inadmissible in all circumstances.
