A priest dies after lighting his habit with a candle during the Easter vigil in Zaragoza

The priest from the San Gregorio neighborhood of Zaragoza died this morning at the Miguel Servet Hospital in the city due to the serious burns he suffered last Saturday during the Easter Vigil ceremony, when the habit he was wearing caught on fire with the spark of a candle.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
03 April 2024 Wednesday 16:31
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A priest dies after lighting his habit with a candle during the Easter vigil in Zaragoza

The priest from the San Gregorio neighborhood of Zaragoza died this morning at the Miguel Servet Hospital in the city due to the serious burns he suffered last Saturday during the Easter Vigil ceremony, when the habit he was wearing caught on fire with the spark of a candle.

As sources from the Archbishopric of Zaragoza have informed EFE, the incident took place in the Convent of the Franciscan Conceptionists, in the Santa Isabel neighborhood of the Aragonese capital, where the priest, Javier Sánchez, 60, served as chaplain. .

The accident took place during the Easter Vigil, a ceremony celebrated on Holy Saturday night in which the water and fire that are later used in the sacraments are blessed.

The priest was immediately transferred to the ICU of Miguel Servet, where he was admitted with severe burns and where he remained hospitalized until his death.

The cited sources have explained that this priest, a counselor of the Brotherhood of Humility, was a well-known person in the neighborhood, in addition to being very fond of music and composing and playing in concerts to raise funds for charity.

They have added that the funeral will be held this weekend in a ceremony that will be carried out in the strictest privacy, at the request of the family.

Police sources consulted by EFE have explained that no investigation has been opened into the accidental death of the priest of San Gregorio.

The cited sources have recalled that he was sometimes affectionately called "the rock priest" for his love of music, which led him to record three albums with his own compositions.