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GUAYAQUIL. – A Roman Catholic priest has died after a large wooden cross fell on his head during a mass that was being broadcast live on his own social media. Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari (53) was leading the mass at the Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro church in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Saturday 17 October when the heavy cross suddenly came loose from the wall behind the altar and fell on him.
The incident was captured on video during the broadcast, which can be seen at the very end above. The archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed Sánchez Molinari's death and expressed sympathy with his family, friends and faith community.
According to reports, the priest was standing before the altar and addressing the congregation when the cross struck him from behind and caused him to fall against the lectern. Congregation members cried out for help and rushed to him.
Molinari was a member of the Redemptorists, a Catholic religious order. The accident attracted worldwide attention after video from the live broadcast was shared on social media.
Sources: Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari Facebook, CBS News, El Universo, The Catholic Sun
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
