Pope Francis has expanded his itinerary for his trip to the United States this coming September. In addition to attending the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, the pontiff told reporters today that he will also be making stops in Washington and New York City during his trip to the United States.
The World Meeting of Families runs from September 22-27. Pope Francis is expected to celebrate an outdoor Mass on the streets of Philadelphia during his visit to the city, similar to the massive Mass the Pope celebrated yesterday in Manila. An estimated 6 million people attended yesterday's Mass.
Other than the World Meeting of Families, there are no finalized details of Pope Francis' schedule that have been released. Pope Francis confirmed he would be attending the event in Philadelphia in November of 2014.
This is Pope Francis' first trip to the United States since his election as pontiff in March 2013, and this is the first papal visit to the United States since Pope Benedict XVI visited Washington and New York City in April of 2008.