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Planning Goes On While Awaiting Pontiff's Official Word on Phila. Visit, Chaput Says

By Mark Abrams

ROME, Italy (CBS) -- Philadelphia's archbishop is in Rome for planning sessions for the World Meeting of Families event, scheduled for next September in Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, despite fairly unequivocal statements from the pope himself, questions continue to surface as to whether he will attend.

Philadelphia archbishop Charles Chaput took part today in meetings at the Pontifical Council for the Family, in the Vatican, for the event set for September 2015.

International news media covering the Vatican pressed Chaput (third from left in photo) during a briefing about whether Pope Francis has committed yet to coming to Philadelphia.

"The Holy Father has expressed an interest in attending if he can do that," Chaput responded.  "But we don't have any official decision until several months prior to the event.  We're still a year away from the event.  So we hope he's coming, we're planning as though he's coming, but we have to wait for the official decision to be announced before fully embracing that reality."

Tomorrow, Archbishop Chaput and Thomas and Barbara Reilly and two of their children -- parishioners living here in the archdiocese -- will meet the pope during his public audience and present an original prayer and the specially-commissioned iconic art for the World Meeting of Families.

 

 

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