Pope Leo XIV Discusses Nidal Hasan’s Execution With Archbishop Broglio

Monsignor Timothy Broglio met with Pope Leone XIV at the Apostolic Palace on the eve of the pontiff’s scheduled medical procedure, discussing both the Pope’s calm demeanor and a controversial U.S. capital punishment case involving the planned live-streamed execution of Nidal Hasan. Broglio, the head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services and former president of the U.S.

Papal Demeanor and Baseball Conversations Before Surgery

Addressing how he found the pontiff prior to the operation, Broglio stated that the Pope appeared completely serene and tranquil. Broglio noted that the meeting maintained a lighthearted tone, with the pontiff offering congratulations regarding Major League Baseball. The Pope, known to follow baseball, acknowledged the victory of the Cleveland Guardians—Broglio’s home city team—over the Chicago White Sox, the Pope’s native city franchise. In return, Broglio assured the pontiff of prayers from himself and the faithful of the military archdiocese.

Objections to the Fort Hood Execution Stream

The conversation shifted significantly toward legal matters in the United States, specifically the Trump administration’s plan to broadcast the execution of Nidal Hasan via live-streaming. Hasan was convicted for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, and currently uses a wheelchair after being paralyzed from the waist down during the incident by police gunfire. Broglio voiced strong opposition to the public broadcast, arguing that televising an execution aligns the United States with terrorist groups that broadcast hostage killings.

Church Teachings on Capital Punishment and Moral Impacts

Broglio emphasized that the Catholic Church opposes the death penalty, citing the revised Catechism and Pope Francis’s universal expansion of the teaching against capital punishment when a state has alternative means to protect its populace. In a public statement submitted to the Pope, Broglio asserted that Catholic members of an execution firing squad could potentially be morally exonerated from participating in actions contrary to Church doctrine, comparing the situation to prohibitions surrounding procured abortion. Broglio highlighted the potential psychological harm such broadcasts could inflict on children, young adults, and those who carry out the executions.