PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett and top Philadelphia officials travel to Rome this weekend to ask Pope Francis to attend a huge Roman Catholic gathering in the city next year.
The delegation leaving Sunday includes Mayor Michael Nutter and Archbishop Charles Chaput (Sha-PEW’) of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
They will be in Rome until March 27 to work with Vatican officials on the eighth World Meeting of Families.
City officials say the September 2015 event could attract more than 1 million people from around the world and be the largest gathering in Philadelphia history.
The Vatican has not confirmed a papal visit to the U.S., but other popes have attended past world family meetings, and family issues are a top priority for Pope Francis.
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