Corbett, Nutter Leave for Vatican on Sunday

Gov. Tom Corbett and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter will leave for the Vatican on Sunday. 

The two leaders will join Corbett’s wife, Susan Corbett, and Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput in traveling to the Vatican to help plan next year’s World Meeting of Families. Corbett and Nutter will serve as honorary co-chairmen for the eighth World Meeting of Families.

The Vatican meetings will run through Wednesday, and will include an audience with Pope Francis, the Governor’s Office said.

“As members of the Catholic faith, Sue and I are deeply honored to be part of the delegation scheduled to meet with the Holy Father,” Corbett said when the trip was announced.  “As we begin the planning for this substantial undertaking, we note the tremendous privilege of hosting this global event.  The commonwealth will work very closely with the Archdiocese, the City of Philadelphia and the federal government to ensure that all guests — anticipated to be as many as one million — enjoy our great state and the Philadelphia region as a world-class destination.” 

The eighth World Meeting of Families will be held from Sept. 22-27, 2015, in Philadelphia. The Governor’s Office said the event is expected have an economic impact on the region of about $100 million.

The World Meeting of Families was started by Pope John Paul II in 1994, and have been held in Rome (1994); Rio de Janeiro (1997); Rome (2000); Manila (2003); Valencia (2006); Mexico City (2009), and Milan (2012).