21,000 people packed into the main square in the city of Naples to hear Franklin Graham preach about God’s love at the largest evangelical event recorded in the history of Italy, according to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).
Political leaders from different parties joined the crowds at the ‘Noi Festival’ event held in the Piazza del Plebiscito on Saturday (Sept. 14). They included the Mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, Senator Lucio Malan, and the former president of Campania, Antonio Bassolino.
“I want you to know this—God loves you. If you don’t remember anything else tonight remember that God loves you,” Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the BGEA, told the crowd.
“But we have a problem—sin—it separates us from God. The Bible tells us that God so loved the world, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, from heaven to this earth to save us from our sins.
“Anyone who puts their faith and trust in Him can be forgiven of their sins and have a relationship with God.”
Nearly 350 evangelical churches in southern Italy worked with Graham and the BGEA to organize the event. It featured Christian singer and Latin Grammy-winner Christine D’Clario as well as award-winning artist Charity Gayle.
Graham previously preached at the Noi Festival in Milan (2022) and Rome (2023).
Mayor Manfredi gifted Graham a Neapolitan coat of arms emblem set within a wooden artifact, a few days before he preached.
“It was an honor to be welcomed… by Mayor Gaetano Manfredi and receive the coat of arms – the symbol of the city and a sign of friendship.” wrote Graham on social media channel ‘X’ afterwards. “I am deeply grateful for the gift and I shared with him that I am here because I want the people of Italy to know about God’s great gift for us – His Son, Jesus Christ.
Before the event, Antonio Marino, assistant director of the Noi Festival, said that the people of Naples were searching for peace and justice.
“Naples, a city filled with rich history and culture, yearns for lasting peace and a just future,” said Marino. “While it has faced challenges in the past, a resilient spirit is burning strong within its people. This hope for a better tomorrow resonates deeply, mirroring many of the anxieties and struggles felt across the globe.”
Marino further said that the event would be exactly what the city needed to “truly flourish.”
“I have seen firsthand the incredible impact the Noi Festival had on the people of both Milan and Rome,” he added, “and I am excited for Franklin Graham to share the powerful and life-changing message of God’s love in Italy once again."
The Mayor of Naples, Prof. Gaetano Manfredi, said before the event that it would be very important for the city, adding “I am with you in this great initiative.”
“That is why as an administration we are very committed and are collaborating for the success of the Noi Festival. Naples is ready to welcome Reverend Franklin Graham's message of hope in our great Piazza del Plebiscito.”
Graham has preached the gospel at an estimated 325 outreaches in 55 countries to date, following in his late father Billy Graham’s footsteps. He is also President of Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelistic international relief organization.
Samaritan’s Purse provided an emergency field hospital in Cremona during the Covid-19 pandemic, helping to save the lives of Italians. For this work, Graham was honored at a special ceremony with Senate Majority Leader Lucio Malan at the Italian Senate in Rome last year, 2023.
