By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
VATICAN CITY (Worthy News) – U.S. Evangelist Franklin Graham, who met Pope Francis last year, says the pontiff’s death has raised questions about where he and others will spend eternity.
“With the passing of the pope, many people may question where they will spend eternity. The truth is, religion cannot save you,” Graham stressed in a statement on social media.
“Attending church can’t save you. Salvation is not something you can earn, buy, or inherit. It is a free gift of God for those who put their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is a decision that every person has to make for themselves,” he added.
His remarks came after the body of the late Pope Francis was transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Wednesday to lie in state until his funeral on Saturday morning.
With tens of thousands of people already gathering in the area, the Vatican did not rule out extending hours “for the faithful who wish to pay their respects to the late Pope” which had been scheduled
Wednesday from 11 a.m. to midnight; on Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to midnight; and on Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. “
In the weeks before his death, Pope Francis clarified that people should remember him as a pastor serving Christ.
CONSOLING CERTAINTY
Jesus,” Francis wrote, “gives us a consoling certainty: death is not the end of everything, but the beginning of something. It is a new beginning…because eternal life, which those who love already begin to experience on earth within the daily tasks of life — is beginning something that will never end.”
And, “It is precisely for this reason that it is a “new” beginning because we will live something we have never fully lived before: eternity,” he added.
Graham suggested that following Pope Francis’s death at age 88, it is crucial to remember that only faith in Jesus Christ is the way to Heaven.
“There aren’t many ways to Heaven, there is only one—by repenting of our sins and believing on Jesus Christ. Jesus came to this earth to save us from our sins. He shed His blood on a cross, died, was buried, and God raised Him to life on the third day. He’s alive today, and the Bible tells us one day He will return,” Graham stressed.
“Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’,” the evangelist added referring to John 14:6.
Franklin Graham, son of the legendary late Evangelist Billy Graham, stressed that “Every person has a soul that will live forever-either in the presence of God, or separated from God in a place the Bible calls Hell. Where you spend eternity depends on whether you have put your trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Pope, pastor, politician, or peasant- the way to God is the same.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
A prominent Christian preacher and activist known for his anti-war views has died in Russian custody, Worthy News learned Monday.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a blunt message to Iran on Monday: the United States will not accept any arrangement in which Tehran acts as gatekeeper to the Strait of Hormuz — demanding coordination, permission, or payment from vessels wishing to pass through what are, by international law, open waters.
Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has withdrawn an appeal against a court ruling rejecting his request to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, marking another setback in the long-running 1MDB corruption saga.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump said a shooting that disrupted the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner underscored what he called the urgent need for a controversial new White House ballroom.
A period of mourning continued Monday in southwestern Colombia after at least 20 people were killed in a bus bombing along a key highway, officials said, in one of the deadliest recent attacks in the volatile region.
A part of northern Japan was hit by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake while elsewhere in the region wildfires were burning through more than 1,600 hectares of forest as of Monday morning, authorities and witnesses said.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday to allow Texas to implement its revised congressional map, overturning a lower court decision that had blocked the plan over racial gerrymandering concerns.