WASHINGTON—The visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia in September 2015 for the World Meeting of Families will be a "joyful moment," said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Pope Francis made his intention to travel to the United States public, November 17, in an address to the Colloquium on the Complementarity of Man and Woman at the Vatican.

"The presence of Pope Francis at the World Meeting of Families in our country will be a joyful moment for millions of Catholics and people of good will. Our great hope has been that the Holy Father would visit us next year to inspire our families in their mission of love. It is a blessing to hear the pope himself announce the much anticipated news," said Archbishop Kurtz.

The World Meeting of Families, sponsored by the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family, is the world's largest Catholic gathering of families and is held every three years. World Meeting of Families 2015 will be September 22-27, 2015, hosted by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and will focus on the theme "Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive," emphasizing the impact of the love and life of families on society.

More information about the meeting, including open registration, is available online.

The Vatican has not announced additional dates or cities for the 2015 papal visit at this time.