Pope Francis is coming to the United States.

"I wish to confirm according to the wishes of the Lord, that in September of 2015, I will go to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families." the pontiff said at a conference on family values at the Vatican, according to a CNA release.

After Philadelphia, Pope Francis is then expected to travel to New York.

This will be the pope's first visit to the U.S. and will take place at The World Meeting of Families, an event that occurs every three years to promote family values. This year, it will be held in Philadelphia on Sept. 22-27.

The last World Meeting of Families was held in Milan, Italy, in 2012, and more than 1 million people representing 153 nations attended a papal Mass with Pope Benedict XVI.

The 2015 theme will be “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.

"We know that today marriage and the family are in crisis," Pope Francis said of the theme according to USA Today. "We now live in a culture of the temporary, in which more and more people are simply giving up on marriage as a public commitment. This revolution in manners and morals has often flown the flag of freedom, but in fact it has brought spiritual and material devastation to countless human beings, especially the poorest and most vulnerable."

Speakers of the meeting include Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, Cardinal Robert Sarah, professor Helen Alvare, Dr. Juan Francisco de la Guardia Brin, and Gabriela N. de la Guardia.

Archbishop Chaput had previously hinted that Pope Francis would attend the 2015 meeting, although he cautioned that the visit had not been officially confirmed.

According to Archbishop Bernardito Auza, head of the Holy See’s permanent observer mission to the United Nations, the pope’s visit will happen at an ideal time as it will take place during the 70th anniversary of the United Nation's founding.

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