McCain meets with Billy Graham

(CNN) – John McCain spent 45 minutes meeting with the Rev. Billy Graham and his son Franklin at Graham's North Carolina home Sunday morning.

The meeting took place at Graham's home in Montreat, North Carolina, about 25 miles outside Asheville.

The house - known as Little Piney Cove - is a mountaintop retreat near Black Mountain in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The campaign says Rev. Graham, though quite ill, sat up in a chair during the meeting and participated in the talks with McCain and Franklin.

Advance notification did not mention that the 89-year-old Graham would be part of the meeting.

Franklin Graham issued a written statement a short time after the meeting. He said, "My father and I were pleased to have an opportunity to meet and visit with Sen. John McCain today.

Sen. McCain's office had requested a meeting in recent months and we appreciate the effort he made to travel to my father's home. The senator and I both have sons currently serving in the military, and also have a common interest in aviation. I was impressed by his personal faith and his moral clarity on important social issues facing America today."