Pope condemns death penalty amid US execution livestream backlash

Capital punishment is an attack on human dignity, Leo XIV argued as Catholic leaders oppose plans to broadcast the Fort Hood shooter’s execution Pope Leo has condemned capital punishment as an attack on human dignity amid growing criticism of the US military’s plans to livestream the execution of the convicted Fort Hood shooter.US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced last week that Nidal Malik Hasan would face a military firing squad on December 3. President Donald Trump has confirmed that he personally authorized the broadcast.Writing on X on Saturday on the international World Day Against the Death Penalty, Leo criticized capital punishment as a concept, but did not name Hasan or directly address the livestream.“The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” the pontiff wrote, adding that “the common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment.” Leo argued that effective detention protects citizens without denying offenders the possibility of redemption. His remarks reflect the Catholic Church’s established opposition to executions. The previous pope, Franc...