Vatican: No confirmation of Pope Francis visit to Philly

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Vatican spokesperson told Action News that, despite reports of Pope Francis coming to Philadelphia in 2015, there has been no confirmation of his travel plans.

The reports started circulating on Friday morning after an article was posted on Catholicnews.com

According to that report, Archbishop Charles Chaput - while speaking in Fargo, North Dakota - said Pope Francis accepted his invitation to come to Philadelphia next year for the World Meeting of Families.

However, on Friday morning, the Vatican reiterated that no travel plans have been made and there is no confirmation of the pope's visit.

Though not confirmed, Pope Francis is widely expected to visit Philadelphia during the World Meeting of Families to be held in September, 2015.

The Philadelphia Archdiocese also told Action News there has been no confirmation of the Pope's visit. In a statement, a spokesperson said:

"There has been no official confirmation by the Vatican or The Holy See of Pope Francis' attendance at the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. We still expect that any official confirmation will come approximately six months prior to the event.

Archbishop Chaput has frequently shared his confidence in Pope Francis' attendance at the World Meeting and his personal conversations with the Holy Father are the foundation for that confidence.

We are further heartened and excited by the comments of the Vatican Press Office regarding Pope Francis' "willingness to participate in the World Meeting of Families." While Archbishop Chaput's comments do not serve as official confirmation, they do serve to bolster our sincere hope that Philadelphia will welcome Pope Francis next September."