The Catholic priest who was slain by a falling crucifix over the weekend in Ecuador had been giving a sermon about the fleeting nature of life just before the freak accident.
Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari, of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in southern Guayaquil, was reflecting on the words of Jesus when he told his congregation they should not waste their lives scrolling on their phones and instead dedicate them to God and their loved ones.
“One day, all of us here will also d!€ 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 priest went on to ask God to bless his congregation as he began another prayer, when the giant crucifix behind him suddenly fell off the wall and landed on him.
The shocking incident was caught on a livestream of the sermon, in which panicked members of the congregation could be heard screaming as they rushed to help the priest and call an ambulance.
First responders reported to the scene, but Molinari was declared deceased that same day, officials said.
It remains unclear what caused the heavy crucifix to detach and fall from the wall, and church officials haven’t publicly provided an explanation for the incident.