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
The Department of Homeland Security is preparing to intensify voter-fraud investigations in nine states ahead of the midterm elections, according to a Newsmax report citing federal guidance.
The U.S. State Department has approved a possible $800 million foreign military sale to Iraq, a package aimed at strengthening Baghdad’s ability to move troops, conduct reconnaissance, and strike hostile targets amid continuing instability across the region.
Israel and Greece have signed a landmark defense agreement worth roughly €3 billion, or about $3.5 billion, under which Israel will help build a multi-layered air defense system for Greece known as “Achilles Shield.”
Israel’s military is raising its readiness level amid growing concern over Turkish naval movements in the eastern Mediterranean, as tensions between Jerusalem and Ankara continue to sharpen over Syria, Gaza, and Turkey’s expanding regional posture.
Christians and rights advocates in Pakistan have expressed mounting concern over reported deadly attacks, intimidation, abductions of girls and alleged forced conversions involving the nation’s Christian minority, with several incidents emerging across the Muslim-majority country.
The 41-year-old man who died after a large wooden sign fell at a major Christian festival in England was identified Sunday as Robert Guanco, a pastor at a church in the coastal town of Eastbourne.
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to resume above-ground construction of President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom, lifting a lower-court order that had halted much of the project.