Jesus saves! Carjacked priest survives when bullet bounces off his crucifix during robbery in Brazil

A Brazilian priest has revealed how his life was saved by Jesus after a bullet meant to kill him ricocheted off his crucifix.

Father Jairo Luis Gusberti was stopped at gunpoint by a pair of crooks while he was driving two parishioners home in the Christ the Redeemer neighbourhood of Caxias do Sul, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil, on Monday at around 9pm.

As the two carjackers approached the car, one fired at point-blank range through the windscreen, hitting the priest square in the chest.

But instead of killing him instantly, the bullet was partially stopped by the crucifix and only caused a slight flesh wound, according to reports.

Father Jairo told local media on Tuesday: ‘I was protected by God; that’s the testimony I want to give.

While the wood backing of the crucifix was destroyed, the crucifix itself somehow remained intact

He said he has since forgiven his would-be killers

Father Jairo was in and out of hospital in a few short hours after Brazilian doctors patched him up

‘In fact, the crucifix, the cross of Christ that already saved us when he gave his life for us, saved me last night, too.’

Pictures taken after the hold-up show the wood in the crucifix shattered with the metal badly twisted but apparently intact.

The crumpled bullet can be seen underneath the cross in the priest’s hand.

The wound was so slight that it took Father Jairo several minutes to realise he had been shot.

He was taken to hospital, where doctors removed the bullet from his chest, with the cross said to have ensured that he only suffered a surface wound.

Without the crucifix, the bullet could have gone much deeper and been fatal. 

He was discharged just hours later, after medics strapped up the small wound.

Forgiving Father Jairo later told local media he felt ‘born again’ by the shooting.

He added: ‘Pray for those who carried out this operation. So that God’s love touches them.’

It is not currently known if Brazilian police have yet made any arrests.