On Wednesday, a 39-year-old pastor from Mozambique died after attempting to replicate Jesus Christ’s biblical feat of fasting for 40 days without food or water.
Before being rushed to the hospital by his family and followers due to his failing health, Francisco Barajah, the founder of the Santa Trindade Evangelical Church and a French teacher in the town of Messica bordering Zimbabwe, had fasted for 25 days.
Barajah was identified as having acute anaemia and organ failure when he arrived at the medical facility. According to reports, he lost so much weight that he was unable to even stand.
The pastor passed away a few hours after being admitted to the hospital, despite efforts to restore his fluid balance with serums and liquid nutrition, the BBC reported.
His followers claimed that he frequently fasted, though not for such extended periods of time.
However, Marques Manuel Barajah, the deceased’s brother, insisted that his brother’s death was caused by low blood pressure.
In the town of Messica in the central province of Manica, which borders Zimbabwe, the pastor also taught French.
