(WARNING: VIDEO CONTENT IN THIS STORY IS GRAPHIC)
A Catholic priest preaching about the spontaneity of death was killed in Ecuador Saturday when a giant crucifix came loose, fatally crushing him.
The horrific incident occurred at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador.
Father Patricio Alfredo Sanchez Molinari was livestreaming Mass on his social media accounts when the crucifix detached from the wall behind him. The stream was ended shortly afterward as women were heard shrieking as they rushed to help.
WATCH:
He was preaching about life and death.
Moments later, a giant crucifix fell on him.
Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari’s final sermon became a chilling coincidence.
Sometimes reality is darker than fiction. https://t.co/ImQgxmZBWC
— Whitelabels Intern (@whitelabelintrn) October 19, 2026
The Daily Mail reports: “In the video, Sanchez Molinari can be seen standing at an altar with a cross bearing the figure of Jesus Christ high up on the wall behind him.
“The crucifix then suddenly came loose, tilted forward and fell straight down, directly onto the priest’s head.
“Sanchez Molinari was knocked below the altar and out of frame. The livestream captured the sound of shocked parishioners shouting in agony and screaming for help.
“‘Padre!’ a woman could be heard repeatedly screaming. ‘Call an ambulance!’ she also said in Spanish. A few people could then be seen running towards the altar as they appeared to try to help the priest.”
During his sermon, the priest was urging believers not to waste their lives scrolling on their phones, but rather serving God and their loved ones, according to the New York Post.
“One day, all of us here will also die, and sometimes the time we’ve spent on things doesn’t have as much meaning as the time we spend with God,” he said.
“The quality time we give to God, to our brothers and sisters, to our husbands, wives, children, and family – that time is the best spent,” Molinari added.
The church issued a statement on the tragedy, saying: “We announce that our beloved Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, who served as parish priest of the Perpetual Help church in the Central Vicariate, has departed to the Father’s House to enjoy His presence and His glory.”
It is not clear what caused the crucifix to dislodge from the wall, and the church has not voiced an explanation or said if it will hold an investigation.
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