No turning back

I was the first in my entire family—on both my mother’s and father’s side—to be born again. Raised in a deeply traditional Roman Catholic household in Brazil, with roots that included nuns and priests, my encounter with Jesus came not through religious ritual, but through the preaching of the Word—thanks to American missionaries who brought the Gospel with clarity and power. When I gave my life to Christ, everything changed. And the cost was immediate.

My grandfather called me anátema—cursed—and barred me from his home. I was forbidden from attending family birthdays, reunions, or holidays. I had not just changed religions. In their eyes, I had betrayed a legacy. But I had encountered the living Christ, and I could not turn back. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews:12:2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
See All...), and He gave me the courage to stand. Over time, the very same Gospel that cost me so much brought salvation to many in my family. Several were born again and baptized. The seed had been planted, and it bore fruit.

But let me be clear: what I left behind was not just tradition—it was a system that encouraged idolatry and resisted the true Word of God. The spirit behind that resistance is not neutral. It is religious, yes—but not holy. And today, as news breaks that Pope Francis has died, I say this not with hate nor joy, but with solemnity: only God knows where his soul went.

The Bible is explicit. There is Heaven or Hell—no middle ground, no purgatory, and no salvation by works.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians:2:8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
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For years, I watched as Pope Francis turned his back on biblical truth. He openly supported Brazil’s radical leftist leader Lula da Silva, embraced Maduro’s brutal regime in Venezuela, and elevated socialist ideologies over the cries of the persecuted. He went even further—aligning the Vatican with global forces that undermined Israel’s legitimacy and promoted Palestinian statehood. He stood not with the covenant of God, but with those who seek to divide the land of promise.

There is a dangerous spirit of ecumenism rising—a false unity that embraces every faith except the one that dares to say Jesus is the only way. America must not bow to it. The Church must not bow to it.

— Tania Curado-Koenig (Christian author).