Pope Leo XIV opposes death penalty as United States plans Hasan execution

Pope Leo XIV has reiterated the Catholic Church opposition to the death penalty, amidst growing debate over the planned execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan. Euronews and Geo News both reported that the Pope called capital punishment an attack on human dignity. United States Vice President JD Vance announced that he will not watch the execution, according to Euronews. [1][2][3]

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Hasan will be executed by a firing squad in a public livestream, Euronews reported. The execution of the former United States Army major is expected to take place on 3 December at Fort Hood. Hasan was convicted for a 2009 mass shooting at the military base that killed 13 people and wounded 32 others. [1][6][7]

Pope Leo XIV is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the execution scheduled for December would be the first United States military execution since 1961. President Donald Trump previously stated that he had not made a final decision on whether the event will be broadcast to the public. [4][6][7]

The announcement to livestream the military firing squad execution has drawn criticism from both Republican and Democratic politicians, as FTMQ News reported earlier. Vice President Vance also previously questioned whether the execution would take place as announced by the Pentagon. [6][7]