Pope says death penalty ‘inadmissible’ as US plans to livestream execution

What the report says

Pope Leo XIV used World Day Against the Death Penalty to restate Catholic opposition to capital punishment, saying on X that it is “inadmissible” because it violates the dignity and inviolability of the person. In the post, the Vatican leader argued that justice and public safety can be upheld without executions, pointing instead to detention systems that leave room for rehabilitation.

Al Jazeera reported that the pope’s comments came as the United States prepared to livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, scheduled for December 3, according to a Thursday announcement by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hasan was convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that killed 13 people and wounded 32. The article said the pope did not directly mention Hasan or another recent execution case, but the timing aligned closely with the Pentagon’s plan.

The Vatican had already signaled concern through Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who called the livestream idea unacceptable, according to Vatican News. Al Jazeera also noted that the planned broadcast drew criticism from figures across the US political spectrum. Vice President JD Vance later said he was unsure the livestream would actually happen, while a Pentagon official had confirmed the plan a day earlier. The issue matters because it revives debate over executions, public spectacle, and how the US presents capital punishment to the world.