Hopes grew Friday that Pope Francis will pay his first-ever papal visit to the United States in 2015 after a senior cleric said he'd be attending a major Catholic event in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput, speaking to Native American Catholics in North Dakota, said the 77-year-old pontiff had personally confirmed to him that he would attend the eighth World Meeting of Families. "Pope Francis had told me he is coming" to the gathering that is scheduled for September 22-27 next year, he said, quoted by the Catholic News Service. In Washington, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told Agence France-Presse: "The Vatican has not confirmed that." [Link]