Pope Francis may visit New York City in 2015
The pope confirmed he is planning to come to the U.S. next year — hoping to address Congress and the UN, as well as attend a meeting in Philadelphia — but a spokesman for the New York Archdiocese said he has yet to confirm his visit to the city.
In a surprise announcement Monday, Pope Francis said he’s thinking of coming to New York City next year as part of a three-city U.S. tour.
On a flight from to Rome from South Korea, Francis confirmed he’s planning to make his first visit to United States as pontiff in September 2015.
While aboard the Papal Plane, he told reporters he wants to attend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, address Congress in Washington and speak at the United Nations.
“Next year I’d like to go to Philadelphia for the family meeting,” said the spiritual leader of the world’s 78.2 million Catholics.
“I was invited by the President of the United States, by the American parliament and the secretary-general of the United Nations,” he said. “So maybe the three cities together.”
New York could be part of a three-city U.S. tour for the pope.
He said there was a possibility he would add Mexico to his travel plans, specifically to visit the Madonna of Guadalupe shrine Mexico City.
“But it’s not sure,” he said.
If the trip pans out, it would mark the first visit by a pope to New York City since 2008, when Pope Benedict addressed the UN General Assembly and became the first pontiff to visit a U.S. Jewish temple — the Park East Synagogue on E. 67th St.
“We’re excited Pope Francis is considering visiting New York City as part of a trip to the United States,” said Mayor de Blasio, who extended an invitation to the pope when he met last month in Rome with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
“His message of tackling income inequality and his commitment to social justice resonate deeply with our City,” de Blasio said in a statement Monday. “The Pope embodies values like fairness, compassion and tolerance that New Yorkers cherish, and we would be honored to receive him.”
New York Archdiocese spokesman Joe Zwilling cautioned that the Vatican has yet to confirm any plans for the papal visit to New York.
“Obviously, we are still waiting for word,” Zwilling said Monday. “We’re hoping and praying for good news from the Vatican.”
New York City has hosted four visits from popes, dating back to Pope Paul VI’s trip here in 1965. Pope John Paul II visited the city twice — once in 1979 and again in 1995.
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