Pope Francis might be making a trip to Philadelphia next year to attend the World Meeting of Families in September, according to Vatican sources, the Huffington Post reported.
Although popes don't always attend the event, Pope Benedict XVI announced in February that Philadelphia would be the location of the next meeting, scheduled for Sept. 22 - 27, 2015.
The World Meeting of Families, created by Pope John Paul II in 1994, occurs once every three years.
The National Catholic Reporter was the first to report that Francis may be headed to the meeting in September, in addition to making a possible apperance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York the same month.
However, the Catholic news site also mentioned that sources said nothing is official and the time of the trip is too far away to say it would happen for certain. They also noted Vatican officials do not confirm travel plans for the pope until shortly before they occur.
An official from the Philadelphia archdiocese told NCR that they have "no official indication" of a trip.
"We hope, but we don't know," the unidentified church official said.
In addition to the speculation regarding a trip to the United States, the Pontiff has already scheuled a trip to Amman, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem in May and is considering a trip to South Korea in August. In July, he visited Brazil to attend World Youth Day.
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia said a visit to the meeting by Francis would act as a significant benefit for the church.
"Everywhere I've been where the pope has gone, it's been a moment of grace for the local church," Chaput said.
