Pope Francis could be visiting the United States in 2015

Pope Francis is 🐼eyeing a visit to the United States in 2015.

Both the and cite Vatican sources saying the new popu🅺list pope wants to come to America.

A Vatican-organized conference in Phil꧟adelphia, theಌ World Meeting of Families in September 2015, would be the likely occasion for a papal visit, NCR reported. The gathering, launched in 1994 under Pope John Paul II, is held every three years in a different location.

Pope Francis could combine that event with a trip to New York during the General Assembly of the United Nations, which convenes in September. Also next year, St. Patrick’s Cathedral is scheduled to complete a yearslong refur♏bishment. Vatican sources “stressed that nothing is official and the date is♋ too far into the future to be certain,” NCR reported.

This would the f🎶irst papal visit to the States since Pope Benedict’s April 2008 trip to New York and Washington. Benedict’s celebrated predecessor, John Paul II, paid seven visits to the United States and drew adoring crowds everywhere he went. More than 125,000 people celebrated Mass with John Paul in pouring rain in Central Park during his October 1995 visit.