Where Do Devout Popes Go When They Die?

How Does One Avoid Their Fate?

Pope Francis, hailed as “Servant of the servants of God,” the leader of Roman Catholicism nears his death.  Plans are in progress for his funeral. The backroom politicking that is the common form of government in the Roman Catholic Church is underway. Politicians, news media, and over 1 billion Roman Catholics worldwide are speculating about who will be the next Pope.

Upon Francis’s death, evangelicals and Lutherans, protestants and Roman Catholics, atheists and agnostics, republicans and democrats, will all express words of praise for the Primate of Italy. Instead of heaping praise, perhaps they should be asking, “Where do devout popes go when they die?”

1. The Pope and His Gospel

The gospel preached by Noah, Moses, Isaiah, Jesus, Peter, John, and Paul, was the gospel of salvation through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. There is no way for a man to be saved but by the precious blood of Jesus shed for the justification of the ungodly.[1] The Spirit continues to use the gospel to give new birth and eternal life to perishing sinners. Most of the apostles died for the name of Christ and His gospel. Christians still die for the name of Christ. Nothing is more valuable to the Christian than Christ and His salvation. If we have not Christ we have not life. If we have Christ, we have eternal life.

To pollute or alter the gospel of God concerning Jesus Christ His Son is to ask for God’s curse. Paul said, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”[2]

Salvation and the gospel are altogether different for the pope and Roman Catholicism than what is found in the Bible.

The 2,010^th item in the Roman Catholic Catechism says of grace and eternal life: “Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life.”

Grace for the pope only merits initial forgiveness and partial justification. To reach heaven and eternal life, a man must earn it himself. The Roman system teaches a gospel of faith plus works. Christ saves somewhat but not to the uttermost. The false Roman gospel is rightly called semi-pelagianism. Put simply, it is another gospel which is not a gospel at all. There is nothing good about it. Sinners are not saved in Rome’s gospel.[3]

Because another gospel is proclaimed and promoted, God says of the pope and his false religion, “let him be accursed.” By preaching the false Roman gospel, Francis was devoted to the Roman religion. Where do devout popes go when they die?

2. The Pope and His Title

In public the pope appears in long flowing robes and a large pointy, bejeweled hat under which he wears a skull cap to hold it on. His dress and throne remind his followers of some of his many titles: “Successor of the Prince of the Apostles;”“Patriarch of the West;” and “Head of the Holy See.” Roman Catholicism adorns high and lofty titles on its leadership. There are few greater titles for its supreme leader than “Pontifex Maximus”and the “Vicar of Christ.” The former refers to the pope as the supreme high priest. The latter promotes “the pope’s supreme and universal primacy, both in honor and of jurisdiction over the Church of Christ.”[4]

God never gave these titles or honors to mere men. Rather, Scripture says that Jesus is the great High Priest.[5] “He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”[6] Jesus is head of His church. Jesus is Captain of salvation. He is the author of salvation. Jesus is with His people to the end of the age. The pope is a usurper of Christ’s authority and full of blasphemy in his lofty titles.[7]

Before the pope, people bow. To the pope, people pray. For the pope, people sacrifice their worldly goods. Like King Herod long ago, the pope has taken God’s glory for himself and is being struck down. By accepting titles of blasphemy for himself, Francis was devoted to the Roman religion. Where do devout popes go when they die?

3. The Pope and His Queen

The pope has an accursed message and a blasphemous title, but he does not stop there. He goes much further. He has another redeemer. Her name is Mary. Rome calls her the mother of Jesus. But the Pope’s Mary is not the mother of Jesus. The Mary of Scripture who bore Jesus was a sinner. She rejoiced in God her Savior.[8] Rome’s Mary is an idol. She is held up in merit and work as equal to Christ Himself.

The Roman Catholic Church and her popes give Mary many titles including: “Advocate; Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix.”[9] The basic worship of the Roman religion includes devotion to Mary.[10] Rome calls Mary, “Queen over all things.”[11] The 7^th part of the vainly repeated rosary begins like this: “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy; our life, our sweetness, and our hope…”[12]

Pope John Paul II referred to Mary as “the co-redeemer.”[13] He invoked the Latin phrase “Ad Jesum per Mariam” (To Jesus through Mary) as “really fact.” “Wherever you are, you can say, the Mother of Christ is here!”[14]

The priests carry Mary statues on their shoulders. The peasants give their wealth for little statues of her. Devout papists travel great distance to see her in statue form who is supposedly everywhere. She is their co-mediator, so they venerate her as they venerate God.

Pope Francis said, “If we want to be Christians, we must be ‘Marians’, that is ‘children of Mary.’”[15]

To Roman Catholics, Mary is the co-mediatrix, co-redeemer, and co-sovereign and the Pope is her prophet. Long ago the Israelites offered incense to the queen of heaven and were destroyed.[16] Rome cries out to its queen and the pope faces the same end. Francis devoted himself to the Roman idol. Where do devout popes go when they die?

4. The Pope and His Sacraments

The Roman catholic church has a gospel that is not free, a Christ that does not save to the uttermost, and an idol that must be carried. Then it goes further. It has sacraments that lead people away from the true Christ and His gospel. In the mountain range of Roman blasphemies, the mass is one of the tallest peaks.

Few Roman Catholics can agree on what exactly is happening in the mass. The majority say, “Christ is being offered for sins again,” or “Christ is being recognized as continuing to be offered for sins.” In either case, Christ’s work on the cross is not finished. All agree that they are eating the physical body of Christ. Even after attending mass every day of every month of every year of every decade that God gives life, the followers of Rome still do not know the eternal state of their souls. They think they eat Christ’s actual flesh. The very devout have eaten two or more Christs during their lifetime.[17] All that eating has done nothing for them but pass out the other end.

God gave His word that His children might “know that they have everlasting life” (1 John 5:13). God desires His own to know with certainty the hope that is in them. If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you will not perish but have everlasting life. There is a full stop. That is why the gospel is glorious. That is why Jesus is precious to those who believe. He did die. He rose. Jesus will not die again. He has finished the great work of salvation. Therefore, call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.

The pope and his army of priests cannot offer up Christ to death anymore. They cannot crucify Him again. He suffered once and for all. We partake of Christ’s body and blood spiritually in the Lord’s Supper for the things that Jesus spoke are spirit and life.[18]

Denying the once and for all sacrifice of Christ, Francis was devoted to Rome’s web of lies. Where do devout popes go when they die?

5. The Pope and His Death

The vicar of Christ is dying. Many men with this title have died before. The Lord said, “it is appointed for man once to die and afterwards the judgment.”[19] The pope has gone the way of all men for he is nothing but a man.

Unbelievers have only one place they go at the end of their days. The rich man of Luke 16 opened his eyes in that place and was in torment because he was burning. He was in hell. Unless a man repents of his sin, he will also go there.

Some in protestant circles consider the pope to be the antichrist. There is a strong tradition of such a view.[20] Whether we say the pope is an antichrist or the antichrist we can say that anyone who preaches another gospel, elevates himself to the throne of God, worships an idol, and blasphemes the name of the Lord with his own sacraments and titles, is an unbeliever. If he dies without repenting of sin and believing in Christ alone for salvation, he will open his eyes in destruction. The gospel and salvation are not in Roman Catholicism. Therefore, let the pope and all people repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.

We freely confess that there may be less devoted Romans Catholics in that religion. Despite the reproach to Christ’s name and the legion of heresies that assault each person upon entrance into a Roman Catholic church, God has brought some through to saving faith in Himself. Some Roman Catholics will read what Rome teaches and say, “I don’t believe that.” Thank God for that! God’s salvation is indeed great. If you find yourself among that number, come out from among them! Join a Bible believing, gospel proclaiming church. You will be warmly welcomed.

At the day of the Lord, reprobate popes will be openly condemned for their unbelief. They will be cast into outer darkness with the devil and his demons for all eternity, body and soul in hell fire forever. That is what happens to devout and unrepentant popes at their death.

Don’t Go With Them

For several decades evangelicals and Roman Catholics have been trying to re-engage with each other. Some evangelicals refer to Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, etc as “Christians.” But the gospel is not in Roman Catholicism or these other branches. The Roman religion proclaims idol worship as fundamental to Christianity. Roman doctrine blasphemes Christ’s name. Rome brings down the work of Christ. The papacy elevates men with titles reserved for God alone. What fellowship has light with darkness? Do we not know that friendship with the world makes us enemies of God?

This article has said some hard things. It is not for the sake of being provocative. Rather it is to emphasize the great gulf fixed between the Roman Catholic system and the Word of God. The Scripture alone proclaims the way to eternal life. The Roman Catholic system does not. If we pretend Roman Catholicism is Christian, how will the perishing hear, repent, and believe?

Christians must be about evangelizing Roman Catholics, telling them the gospel, warning them of God’s judgment, and praying for their conversion. Italy, Spain, central and south America, the Philippines and every Roman Catholic stronghold around the world needs more missionaries. God has saved many out of Roman Catholicism. Christ is bringing many sons to glory. May God save many millions more.

All the world may praise a devout unrepentant pope. God is not mocked. He shares His glory with no one. No idol, man, or church can take His place. Christ is the head. The church is His body. Follow Christ and escape the fate of devoted popes who have died in their unbelief. There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ.

As another pope dies, pray fervently that God would use his death to draw millions of Roman Catholics out of that religion and save them by His grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone who is revealed in the Scripture alone all for the glory of God alone.

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[1] Romans 4:5; 1 Peter 1:19

[2] Galatians 1:8 NKJV

[3] “There are no tears in Heaven when God puts the rod of judgment upon the pope. I know that in every age they say, ‘don’t say a word about his holiness.’ Well I won’t say a word, I will speak a few sentences. The only place in Scripture we are told they say, ‘Hallelujah,’ in Heaven is when the last pope in the whole papacy is sunk in Hell. If you don’t believe me, you read your Bible. That’s what God says.” Alan Cairns, Sermon on Matthew 5:8, https://web.sermonaudio.com/sermons/4689

[4] https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/vicar-of-christ

[5] Hebrews 4:14.

[6] Ephesians 1:22

[7] Revelation 13:1, Revelation 17:3

[8] Luke 1:47

[9] Roman Catholic Catechism #969

[10] iBid #971

[11] iBid #966

[12] https://everydayprayerco.com/blogs/news/what-are-the-rosary-parts-free-catholic-guide?srsltid=AfmBOookQOvlgvFRXA1lSClk6Swy9Sb5ZLVx_1oXOQ74DG-FKpJv7bri

[13] See John Paul II, “Book of Mary, Rome, December 10, 1980.

[14] See John Paul II, “Book of Mary, Rome, January 30, 1982.

[15] In the same sermon he went on to say, “Just as Mary, the woman, played a decisive role in the fullness of time, she is also decisive in the lives of each of us, for no one knows better than a Mother the stages of growth and the urgent needs of her children. https://www.popefrancis2024.sg/mary-the-mother-of-god-and-our-mother/#:~:text=“If%2520we%2520want%2520to%2520be,filled%252C%2520divine%2520grace%2520spills%2520over.

[16] Jeremiah 44

[17] A slice of bread weighs approximately 40 grams. Approximately 11.5 slices of bread make a pound. It takes about 10 bites to eat a piece of bread. Every 115 masses, a person eats about one pound of bread. At one mass per day, a person would eat 180 pounds of bread in about 57 years. The most devout Roman Catholics will eat more than the weight of a whole person in their lifetimes.

Put another way, every 20,340 persons taking mass consume 180 pounds of bread, about the weight of an adult male. If a billion Roman Catholics partake of the mass in one day they have eaten either 49,165 Christs or they ate one Christ who weighed 8,849,700 pounds. What Christ are they partaking of? Certainly not the Christ of Scripture. The perversion, repugnancy, and blasphemy of transubstantiation is abundantly evident.

[18] John 6:63

[19] Hebrews 9:27.

[20] https://www.reformation21.org/confession/2013/07/chapter-256.php

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Copyright © 2025 by Ben Stahl