Pari sa Ecuador, nasawi matapos mabagsakan ng krus habang nagmimisa

• Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari died after a cross fell on him while he was celebrating Mass in Guayaquil, Ecuador
• The priest was leading the service at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church when the incident happened
• Church officials confirmed his death and expressed condolences to his family, friends, and religious community
• An assessment is awaited to establish why the cross detached, according to a follow-up report from Ecuador

Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari died after a cross detached from the wall and fell on him during Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

According to GMA’s Balitanghali, worshippers screamed when the cross fell during the service. The priest was celebrating Mass when it struck him.

The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed his death and extended its condolences to his family and friends. The incident happened on Saturday evening, October 17, according to reports from Ecuador. The church is also known by its Spanish name, Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro.

Read also

Live-in partner of woman found dead inside refrigerator in Rizal arrested in separate case

“Kinumpirma ng Archdiocese of Wayaquil na nasawi ang pari,” the Balitanghali report stated, using the spoken rendering of Guayaquil in the supplied transcript.

The news segment also noted that church officials had not yet explained what caused the cross to detach.

“Wala pang inilalabas na detalye ang simbahan kung bakit natanggal ang krus,” the report added.

A follow-up report by Ecuadorian news outlet Primicias on October 19 provided an update on that unanswered question. The archdiocese said it was awaiting a technical assessment of the incident. It would release further information once specialists had completed their findings. As of that report, the cause had not been publicly established.

Asked about church maintenance and possible preventive inspections, the archdiocese said its parishes maintain their buildings with support from a technical department. However, it did not specify whether additional inspections would take place following the accident.

Father Patricio served as the parish priest of Perpetuo Socorro and belonged to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, whose members are known as Redemptorists.

Before his assignment in Guayaquil, he had spent several years serving at San Lorenzo de Vinces parish in Ecuador’s Los Ríos province. His religious community was among those included in the archdiocese’s message of sympathy.

Read also

Ogie Diaz, sinita ang ilang nanood ng 'Pee Mak' dahil sa ipinagbabawal na ginawa umano sa sinehan

Following his death, relatives, members of the clergy, and parishioners gathered at the Perpetuo Socorro church on October 18 to bid him farewell. His remains were subsequently brought to Cuenca, his hometown.

Local outlet Expreso reported that his wake began at Camposanto Santa Ana in Cuenca on October 19. Family members, friends, and worshippers went there to accompany his loved ones and pay their respects. The gathering followed the tributes offered by the Catholic community in Guayaquil.

For now, the technical findings remain the awaited explanation for the falling cross. Church officials have confirmed the loss of their parish priest, while the circumstances behind the accident remain unresolved in the available reports.

Watch the video below:

In another report, a pilot helped prevent an alleged attempt to crash an Israel-bound passenger plane after his co-pilot stabbed him during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door, giving passengers and crew members a chance to intervene. The aircraft was later brought under control and landed safely in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, two Filipino tourists died after the bus carrying them and other Filipino travelers crashed in Germany while on its way to Munich for Oktoberfest. The tourist bus was traveling from Milan, Italy, when the accident happened. More than 30 people were reportedly on board, while 22 passengers were injured. Authorities later identified one of the fatalities as a 27-year-old Filipina who was living in Italy. The other victim was a 58-year-old Filipino man who was traveling with his wife.

Source: KAMI.com.gh