Famous Priest Shoved Off Stage in Attack at Major Brazilian Event

A celebrity brazilian priest who is celebrated in the country for his lively sermons was violently pushed from a stage yesterday while delivering mass in Cachoeira Paulista, São Paulo.

The incident occurred shortly before 3 p.m. after a woman was able to rush past security and approach Father Marcelo Rossi during a ceremony at the headquarters of Canção Nova, which is a Brazilian Catholic community known for broadcasting religious material online.

Marcelo Rossi, a preaching powerhouse who has reportedly sold millions of musical records in Brazil and was once dubbed a "pop-star priest" by the Associated Press, was seen in video footage of the unexpected mass invasion toppling from the stage as onlookers watched on in shock.

The Catholic priest was giving an address during the closing ceremony of a youth camp which had an estimated 50,000 attendees. He was not seriously injured and officials noted he soon returned to the stage to complete his sermon, which was being streamed to the internet.

The woman—who has not been identified—was detained by the local police.

In the footage, which has attracted tens of thousands of views on YouTube, a woman in a white T-shirt and carrying a handbag runs at Rossi from his right hand side. As religious figures watch on from behind, the microphone picks up the sound of his fall. The woman appears to be smiling.

свернуть