Mask-wearing priest collapses and dies at the pulpit while giving a sermon at his church in Cameroon
- Rev. Father Jude can be seen speaking to his congregation in Douala, Cameroon
- All seems well as Father Jude conveys his sermon to the congregation in French
- He then pauses, clenches his fist, and briefly appears to regain his composure
- Father Jude’s eyes then become droopy and he drops to the floor as concerned clergymen rush to his aid and parishioners scream
A priest wearing a coronavirus mask collapsed and died while giving a sermon at his church in Cameroon on Sunday.
Catholic priest Reverend Father Jude can be seen speaking to his congregation from the pulpit in French before he falls to the ground in Cameroon’s western city of Douala during Sunday Mass on 30 August.
At first, all seems well as Father Jude conveys his spiritual lesson to the parishioners.
He then pauses and looks around the church, before clenching his fist, and he briefly appears to regain his composure.
At first, all seems well as Father Jude conveys his spiritual lesson to the parishioners in Cameroon’s western city of Douala during Sunday Mass last weekend
Father Jude pauses during his sermon on Sunday in Douala, western Cameroon
Father Jude’s eyes then become droopy and he sways on the spot before slumping backwards, to the left of the pulpit. He can be heard breathing heavily into the microphone before he drops.
At the end of the video, fellow clergymen wearing face masks can be seen rushing to the priest’s aid as women in the church scream.
It is not yet known whether the priest had any prior medical conditions.
The footage was shared on Twitter by lawyer Chidi Odinkalu, who is also the former chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission.
‘Rev. Fr Jude., CMA, Spiritual Director of CMA Deido, in Cameroon’s commercial capital, Douala, was preaching the Homily at Mass earlier today when this happened. RIP,’ he wrote.
This is the moment Father Jude collapsed while delivering his sermon in Cameroon on Sunday
At the end of the video, fellow clergymen and parishioners wearing face masks can be seen rushing to the priest’s aid as women in the church scream
Social media users were shocked by the priest’s sudden death.
One wrote: ‘Oh my God! Right at the pulpit while preaching a sermon!?’
‘May his soul rest in peace and may the Lord he served grant him eternal rest in his kingdom.’
‘Life isn’t just short it’s unbelievable,’ said another.
‘That man must have left his house with the hopes of returning to a wife and children.
‘The life is short, just live it right when you can.’