Pope Leo XIV condemned the death penalty as "inadmissible" in a new social media post, on the heels of the botched execution in Tennessee that left Christa Pike alive and the Pentagon's announcement it will livestream the execution of the 2009 Fort Hood shooter.
"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," Leo, the first American pope, wrote in his post.
Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth announced earlier this week that he would make public a livestream execution of former Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted in 2009 for the killing of 13 individuals
and injuring over three dozen others at the Fort Hood, Texas military base. On Sept. 30 in Tennessee, a woman, Christa Pike, who was convicted of a 1995 murder did not die from her death penalty execution, raising concerns about the practice. She was discharged from the hospital on Oct. 10.
The announcement by Hegseth has sparked bipartisan backlash from lawmakers, with some who alleged that livestreaming a public execution is what terrorist organizations do. In an interview with CNBC, Federal Communication Commission Chairman Brendan Carr did not rule out broadcasting the livestream if Hegseth wanted.
Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, said he would not watch the execution, but also cast doubt whether or not the livestream would take place. President Donald Trump told reporters separately that Hasan deserves the death penalty, but it was not clear if the president supported livestreaming the event.
"I've seen his announcements. I don't know that that's actually going to happen," Vance said.
This is not the first time that Leo made public statements opposing the death penalty, with comments dating back to 2025. In April 2026 he spoke at an event marking the abolition of the death penalty in Illinois, and said that the "Catholic Church has consistently taught that each human life, from the moment of conception until natural death, is sacred and deserves to be protected." In 2018, Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis changed the Catholic Church's stance and declared the death penalty inadmissible.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pope speaks out on death penalty, amid U.S. plans to livestream execution
