Pope Leo XIV calls the death penalty inadmissible — Global News Canada
Pope Leo XIV said that the death penalty is “inadmissible,” while the U.S. Department of Defense announced its intention to broadcast the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan. In a post on X marking World Day Against the Death Penalty, the pontiff cited updated Catholic teaching according to which the death penalty violates the inherent dignity of the person, Global News Canada reports.
Leo XIV wrote that the common good and the demands of justice can be ensured without using the death penalty. According to him, modern prison systems are capable of protecting citizens while not depriving convicted individuals of the possibility of redemption. The post ended with the hashtag #NoDeathPenalty.
Plans to broadcast the execution
The U.S. Department of Defense said on Thursday that it plans to carry out the execution by firing squad of Nidal Malik Hasan at Fort Hood on December 3 and broadcast it live. Hasan was convicted over the 2009 shooting at the Fort Hood military base, which killed 13 people and injured another 32.
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The Pope did not directly mention the planned execution. At the same time, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin called the intention to publicly broadcast the carrying out of the sentence unacceptable. He said that the church’s position is one of complete rejection of the death penalty, which, in his words, is incompatible with human dignity and is not a deterrent.
Position of the Catholic Church
In 2018, Pope Francis changed official Catholic teaching, declaring the death penalty inadmissible under any circumstances. Previously, the Catechism of the Catholic Church allowed its use if it was the only possible way to effectively protect human lives from an unjust aggressor.
The head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul Coakley, also said he was shocked and deeply saddened by the Pentagon’s plans. He stressed that Hasan’s actions cannot be justified, but called for the decision on the public execution to be reconsidered.
