An Italian man was crushed to death on Thursday by a giant crucifix dedicated to the late Pope John Paul II, which collapsed just days before the Polish pontiff will be made a saint in a ceremony at the Vatican.

In a twist of fate, the 21-year-old was reported to have been living in a street named after Pope John XXIII – who will also be canonised in the ceremony on Sunday, in an event that is unprecedented in the 2,000 year history of the Catholic Church.

The man, named as Marco Gusmini, was posing for a photograph with a group of friends in front of the 100ft-high cross when it suddenly collapsed.

A 20ft-high statue of Christ the Redeemer was attached to the crucifix, which was created for John Paul II’s visit to Brescia in 1998.

It was later removed from Brescia and re-erected in the mountain village of Cevo in 2005.