A Catholic priest has died in Ecuador after a large wooden cross fell on him while he was celebrating Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Guayaquil.
The priest, identified as Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari, was at the altar on Saturday when the cross mounted behind him reportedly became detached and struck him on the head.
The incident occurred during a religious service being livestreamed on social media, capturing the moment the cross fell and worshippers rushed to assist the priest.
According to reports by the Associated Press and Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo, members of the congregation called for help as the broadcast continued following the incident.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil subsequently confirmed the priest’s death and identified him as a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, a Roman Catholic religious order.
The Archdiocese also expressed condolences to the Redemptorist community, as well as the priest’s family and friends, following the tragedy.
Sánchez Molinari had previously served for several years at San Lorenzo de Vinces parish, which also mourned his death.
The circumstances surrounding the collapse of the wooden cross had not been officially established at the time of reporting. Local authorities had also not publicly commented on the incident.
The tragedy has drawn attention to the livestreamed footage of the Mass, which captured the unexpected accident and the immediate response of worshippers.
