US military archbishop urges Catholic soldiers to recuse themselves from firing squad

Timothy Broglio, archbishop for military services, urged Catholic soldiers from participating in the Pentagon’s plan to livestream the execution by firing squad of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan. “I oblige any Catholics assigned to the firing squad to request to be excused from this action contrary to the teaching of the Church,” Broglio said in a statement. 
Broglio said it was his “duty to express” his disapproval of the plan, and he offered his “heartfelt sympathy” to the victims’ family and friends who died in the attack. He said he had the “sad duty” of presiding over the funeral of Michael Grant Cahill, the only civilian killed in the attack. Broglio called it an attack that “disregarded the dignity of the human person.” 
Broglio went on to reiterate the opposition of the Catholic Church to capital punishment. 
“The catechism was already clear, and Pope Francis made it even clearer. The dignity of the human person is again at stake,” Broglio said. 
Broglio also characterized a live execution as comparable to the tactics of terrorists, and warned that “barbarically killing our adversaries” would undermine America’s reputation with the world. 

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