A Catholic priest was killed after a large wooden crucifix fell on him during a livestreamed Mass in Ecuador, prompting one commenter to ask, 'If God exists, why does this happen?' Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari was celebrating Mass at Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Church in Guayaquil on 17 October 2026 when the crucifix struck him.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed his death. Reactions on X questioned God's role in suffering, suggested divine judgement or rejected the idea that the death proved wrongdoing.
