Huge Pope John Paul II Crucifix Collapses, Kills Young Tourist

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Image: Andrew Medichini/Associated Press

By Ashley Codianni2014-04-26 00:00:28 UTC

It's been a very sad few days in the small town of Cevo in northern Italy, where a 98-foot-tall crucifix constructed to honor the late Pope John Paul II collapsed and killed a 21-year-old tourist named Marco Gusmini on Thursday, just before the late pope is slated to be canonized on Sunday.

The large cross, which hung with a statue of Jesus Christ, weighed 1,320 pounds. According to the BBC, a ground of young children nearby witnessed the incident.

This isn't the first time something of this nature has happened. In 2004, the Associated Press reported that a 7-foot-tall metal crucifix in the southern Italian town of Sant'Onofrio killed a 72-year-old woman.

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Topics: Crucifix, italy, pope, Pope John Paull II, US & World, World