Vatican City, October 10 : Pope Leo XIV on Saturday criticised US President Donald Trump's approval of the execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan by firing squad, reiterating the Catholic Church's opposition to capital punishment and describing the death penalty as an attack on human dignity.
In a post on X, the Pope stressed that justice and public safety could be ensured without resorting to capital punishment, advocating systems of detention that protect citizens while preserving the possibility of redemption for those found guilty.
"The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person. 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. #NoDeathPenalty," Pope Leo XIV said in his post on X.
The Pope's remarks came after the US military announced on Monday that Trump had approved the execution of Hasan by firing squad, following a recommendation by US War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In a statement posted on X, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said, “US War Secretary Pete Hegseth has recommended, and President Donald J. Trump has approved, death by US Army firing squad for convicted terrorist Nidal Malik Hasan."
“The Secretary of the Army will set the time and place of the execution. Judgement day for Hasan has finally come," Parnell further wrote.
Hasan, an Army major, was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 others in a mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009. A military jury sentenced him to death in 2013 following his conviction in connection with the attack.
The shooting took place inside a medical building at the military installation, which served as a major staging area for US military personnel preparing for deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Twelve of those killed were soldiers, while the thirteenth was a civilian. More than 30 people were wounded in the attack.
During his court-martial, Hasan represented himself, did not call witnesses or testify, and did not contest the formal charges. His court-appointed defence counsel had previously expressed concerns that he was actively pursuing a death sentence.
Prosecutors argued that the attack was inspired by Al-Qaeda. Evidence presented during the trial showed that Hasan opposed US military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan and had communicated online with Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born radical cleric associated with Al-Qaeda who was later killed in a US drone strike in Yemen.
If carried out, Hasan's execution would mark the first US military execution in decades. The US military last carried out an execution in 1961, and the firing squad has not been used by the military since that year.
Pope Leo XIV's statement reiterates the Catholic Church's opposition to capital punishment, emphasising the protection of human dignity and the possibility of redemption even for those convicted of serious crimes.