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
Egyptian archaeologists say new discoveries in northeastern Egypt may help identify a long-lost ancient city that stood along one of the most important military roads of the ancient world — a route many scholars have connected to the biblical account of the Exodus.
Israel’s High Court of Justice has unanimously overturned the government’s decision to close the influential Army Radio after 75 years, ruling that ministers acted at least partly on “improper and invalid” political considerations because they objected to the station’s broadcasts.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Jared Kushner that Israel remains firmly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state, making the position “very clear” during a meeting this week with the Trump adviser, according to a senior Israeli official cited by JNS.
Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf expressed his sorrow Friday after authorities confirmed that a teenager armed with a sword attacked students at a Swedish high school, killing one person and injuring three.
Ukraine is appealing for expanded access to Western satellite technology to help locate and destroy Russian missile launchers and other military targets as relentless Russian drone and missile attacks have killed dozens of civilians within two days, exposing growing shortages in Kyiv’s air defenses.
Millions of Ukrainian men are believed to be attempting to avoid mobilization for the frontline, but many are being hunted down and sometimes harshly detained by authorities as part of a massive drive to reinforce the country’s depleted armed forces.
Hungary’s new president, András Baka, has urged the country’s relaunched public broadcaster to regain the trust of millions of Hungarians after years in which he said it spread falsehoods, as political tensions continued over the dismantling of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s system.