A grieving widow has refused to release her late church-minister husband’s body for burial because he left a letter in which he claimed he would be resurrected on the third day.

Local media reported yesterday (Monday, 25th October) that Huber Carlos Rodrigues’ corpse was being kept in a funeral home in the municipality of Goiatuba in the Brazilian state of Goias.

His body is reportedly being kept refrigerated in a room awaiting the deadline in respect of his widowed wife’s bizarre request.

The church minister passed away from cardiorespiratory complications in a hospital in the city of Itumbiara, also in the state of Goias, on Friday, 22nd October.

He left behind a document, signed in 2008, in which he claimed he had received divine revelations from the Holy Spirit.

He claimed he would go through a “mystery of God” and be resurrected at 11.30 pm on the third day after his death.

He wrote in the letter: “My physical integrity has to be fully preserved, as I will be dead for three days, and on the third day, I will be resurrected.

“My body during the three days will not have a bad smell or decompose, because God Himself will have prepared my flesh and my brain to go through this experience.”

The statement, signed by two witnesses, was confirmed to local media as authentic by the lawyer representing the deceased man’s family.

The funeral home also confirmed to local media that it was respecting the request of the widow, who had been married to the church minister for 26 years.

Local media have not yet reported whether the church minister’s prophecy came true last night – though it is presumed it did not and that he will finally be buried.