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 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
European leaders held an emergency call Tuesday after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would “revise” Russia’s negotiating position on ending the war in Ukraine following an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on his residence in Russia’s Novgorod region.
The historic Dutch fishing town of Volendam is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the nation’s deadliest café fire, a tragedy that killed 14 young people and injured more than 200 others, many with severe burns.
Journalists imprisoned across Russia, and other former Soviet states may have been encouraged by the faith of a Catholic reporter in Belarus who has appealed to the Vatican for help while marking years behind bars.
Concerns are mounting over the fate of a young journalist with the U.S.-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) as she marks a second year in Russian detention, preparing to spend another New Year behind bars.
Israel said Tuesday it has begun enforcing new registration regulations for international nongovernmental organizations, moving to bar 37 groups from operating in Gaza and the West Bank after they failed to comply with requirements introduced earlier this year.
Federal authorities are launching what the Department of Homeland Security described as a “massive operation” in Minnesota aimed at identifying, arresting, and removing criminals accused of defrauding American taxpayers.
Israel and the United States have agreed to give Hamas a two-month window to disarm, according to a report by Israel Hayom, following an overnight meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.