Falling cross that killed priest a punishment from God? A priest reflects

The death of Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari on Saturday, Oct. 17, which occurred when a cross fell on him while he was celebrating Mass in Guayaquil, Ecuador, has left Catholics in shock.

In response to comments on social media questioning whether the incident was a punishment from God, Father Juan Carlos Vásconez, a priest and rector of St. Josemaría Escrivá Church in Guayaquil, pointed to a passage from the Gospel to explain why it should not be interpreted in that way.

In comments to EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Vásconez spoke about the collapse of the tower of Siloam, which resulted in the deaths of 18 people (cf. Luke 13:4-5 ).

He explained that Jesus made it clear that the victims were no more sinful than the other inhabitants of Jerusalem. Rather than assigning them blame, the Lord called everyone to repentance.

“In the face of death, there is a message of equality. Life is fragile, and we will all go through that moment,” he said.

The priest recalled that Sánchez was very well loved in Guayaquil and noted his piety. In February, he had led a retreat that was attended by other priests.

A cross falls during Mass…