Pope Leo Rejects Death Penalty as Pentagon Plans Livestreamed Execution

The Pentagon plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted of the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood. The Defense Department said he would be executed by firing squad, according to CBS Top Stories.

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth announced the public execution plan, Washington Post World reported. The Hill places the planned execution in December in Texas.

Senior Church officials condemned the Pentagon's livestream plans a day before the Pope's statement, according to Washington Post World. That puts their criticism on October 9.

On October 10, World Day Against the Death Penalty, Pope Leo XIV called capital punishment "inadmissible," The Hill reported. His statement came amid the backlash over the planned execution.

The Pope posted on X, quoting revised Catholic teaching rather than announcing a new position, according to Global News. He described capital punishment as an "attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person," Al Jazeera reported.

The coverage differs in how directly it connects his words to the Pentagon. Times now presented the statement as a condemnation of the administration's plan. Euronews, however, reported that the Pope did not explicitly refer to Hasan's scheduled execution.

Also in the October 10 coverage, Vice-President Vance said he would not watch the execution live, according to Euronews. That is a statement about his own participation, not an announcement that the broadcast has been cancelled.

The Pentagon's announced plan is for a livestreamed firing squad execution in December in Texas, according to CBS Top Stories and The Hill. The supplied coverage reports no cancellation or change to that plan.

The Pope's intervention reaffirms the Church's rejection of the death penalty itself, not simply its public broadcast. His post quoted existing Catholic teaching, Global News reported.

The concrete pending event is the December execution and its proposed livestream. The supplied coverage does not give an exact execution date or details of how the broadcast would work. Any Pentagon response to the Church's criticism, or change to the arrangements, would clarify what happens next.