PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Courier-Post
Jim Walsh, Cherry Hill July 25, 2014
Pope Francis is expected to visit Philadelphia during a Catholic gathering next year, the Diocese of Trenton said in a statement today.
The Pope’s will come to the South Jersey-Philadelphia area for the World Meeting of Families from Sept. 22-27, 2015, the diocese said in a statement.
Bishop David O’Connell, leader of the Trenton diocese, said he was “delighted to learn that Pope Francis has expressed his intention to attend the World Meeting of Families.”
O’Connell initially issued a statement saying the Pope had confirmed plans for a Philadelphia visit. He later clarified his language to say Francis “is expected to be present.”
The Philadelphia Archdiocese, while expressing “sincere hope” for a papal visit, said Friday it has not yet received “official confirmation” from the Vatican.
“We still expect that any official confirmation will come approximately six months prior to the event,” the statement said.
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