Pope Leo XIV has spoken out against the death penalty after the Pentagon announced plans to livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan. "The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person," Leo, who is the first pope from the United States, wrote on X on Saturday. "The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment: effective systems of detention have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption." His remarks come after the pentagon confirmed that Hasan's execution would be livestreamed, prompting criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.
On Friday, Archbishop Paul Coakley, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, condemned the decision to livestream Hasan's execution. Coakley said the decision was "a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered." This is a developing story.
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