The American-born pontiff made the statement in a post on X to mark the World Day Against the Death Penalty, reiterating the Catholic Church’s teaching that capital punishment violates the inherent dignity of every human being.
Pope Leo XIV cited the revised Catholic teaching on capital punishment introduced by his predecessor, Pope Francis, which maintains that the death penalty is inadmissible because it attacks the dignity of the person, regardless of the crime committed.
The pontiff’s remarks come amid plans by the United States Department of Defense to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted over a deadly shooting at Fort Hood military base in Texas in 2009.
According to the announcement, the execution by firing squad is scheduled for December 3. Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others during the attack, one of the deadliest shootings on a US military installation.
If carried out as announced, the execution would be the first US military execution since 1961, marking a significant development in the country’s use of capital punishment within the armed forces.
The planned livestream has also drawn attention to the wider debate surrounding the death penalty, including questions about justice, accountability, human dignity and the public display of executions.
The Catholic Church’s position, as reiterated by Pope Leo XIV, emphasises the protection of human dignity and opposition to capital punishment. The Church’s revised teaching under Pope Francis reflected a stronger rejection of the death penalty and called for efforts to abolish it worldwide.
The planned execution places that position in sharp contrast with the US military’s announced course of action, highlighting the continuing international debate over whether capital punishment should remain part of criminal justice systems.
While the US government’s stated plans focus on carrying out the sentence imposed on Hasan, Pope Leo XIV’s message underscores the Catholic Church’s belief that the death penalty should not be used, even in cases involving serious crimes.
