Pastor buried two years after his death because his family hoped he’d resurrect

A pastor from South Africa has finally been laid to rest nearly two years after his death.

According to reports, the man named Siva Moodley passed away in August 2021 but his family opted not to bury him just yet with hopes that he would come back to life. They did not recognize his death in the church and instead spent years praying for his resurrection.

Mortuary managers allowed Moodley’s body to stay in the morgue for long but eventually found it was time for his burial or cremation due to the health and environmental risks it came with. They reached out to his relatives multiple times for their consent, but didn't hear back from them. This prompted them to bring the matter to court.

“It is a civil matter. I cannot make the decision to bury or cremate him on my own,” the funeral home manager said.

“It has to come from his family but they are not saying anything. He was a well-known man and does not deserve this kind of treatment. I hope the court can provide some relief," he added.

According to official documents, Moodley’s beau Jessie maintained that they believed they would see Moodley alive again. 

The court gave morgue owners the green light for a mandatory burial or cremation after the latter presented proof that they tried to reach the deceased man's loved ones almost 30 times about their next move with his dead body as well as reports on the health and environmental risks that their family's decision could cause.

The South African pastor has finally been laid to rest at Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg. While his siblings and extended family were there to bid farewell to Moodley, his wife and two children decided to skip the funeral service for unknown reasons.