Vatican Sources: Pope Francis Intends to Visit the US Next Year

 

Pope Francis greets the crowd Jan. 15 as he leaves his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. (CNS/Paul Haring) 

 

Rome -- Pope Francis has expressed an intention to visit the United States in September 2015, according to Vatican sources who spoke to NCR on background this week, who stressed that nothing is official and the date is too far into the future to be certain.

The primary motive for the trip would be the eighth edition of the World Meeting of Families, an event held every three years that was launched under Pope John Paul II in 1994 and is held in various parts of the world. The Vatican announced in February 2013, shortly before the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, that the next edition will be Sept. 22-27, 2015, in Philadelphia.

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