Properly Position Giant Crucifixes – Catholic Secretariat Urges Churches

The national director of social communications at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Abuja, Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Leonard Ozoemelam Ehiemere, has urged church authorities to ensure the proper installation, positioning and regular inspection of giant crucifixes and other heavy religious objects to prevent avoidable accidents.

He gave the advice following the recent death of a Catholic priest in Ecuador after being crushed when a giant crucifix fell on him during mass.

The incident raised concerns among Catholics over the safety of large crucifixes installed in churches and whether such structures should be repositioned or replaced.

Reacting to the tragedy, Ehiemere described it as an accident that might have been caused by structural defects or inadequate maintenance.

“For me, it was an accident which could be as a result of some structural defect, like lack of proper checks for tear and wear,” he said.

On the possibility of Nigerian Catholic authorities reviewing the positioning of crucifixes in churches, he said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) might issue a position on the matter in the near future.

He, however, maintained that the priority should be proper placement rather than removing or replacing the religious symbols.

“Well, the CBCN may have to say something on that in the near future, but I believe much may be in the area of proper placement rather than replacing,” he stated.

Explaining the significance of the crucifix in Catholic worship, Ehiemere said it remained central to the faith because it represents the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the salvation of humanity.

He explained that the crucifix, when blessed by a bishop or priest, is an important sacramental that reminds Christians of Christ’s suffering and death on the cross.

“The crucifix plays an important role in our Catholic belief because Christ died on the cross to save humanity. It is an important sacramental when blessed by a bishop or priest. Looking at the cross makes us not forget what God did for us to be saved,” he said.

The priest also referenced the biblical account in Numbers 21:4-9, which recounts how the Israelites were healed after looking at the bronze serpent raised by Moses.

He said the crucifix and the sign of the cross remained significant expressions of the Catholic faith in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for humanity.

Ehiemere cautioned against calls for the removal of giant crucifixes from churches because of the Ecuador incident, noting that the occurrence of such an accident should not undermine the importance of the religious symbol.

“There are millions of big crucifixes all over the world. That we had such an incident does not make us say that such important symbols should be removed. Rather, proper placement is required,” he said.

He stressed that the safety concerns extended beyond crucifixes to other heavy installations in churches, including religious statues and chandeliers, particularly those positioned above altars.

According to him, such objects could cause serious injuries or fatalities if they were poorly installed or inadequately maintained.

He therefore urged Catholic authorities, parish priests and church administrators to pay greater attention to the structural integrity, installation and maintenance of large sacramentals and other objects within worship centres.

The priest said the tragic incident should serve as a reminder of the need for greater safety consciousness in churches, particularly in the construction and positioning of heavy religious installations.

While urging Catholics to pray for the repose of the deceased priest, Ehiemere maintained that preserving the significance of religious symbols must go hand in hand with protecting the lives of priests and worshippers.