Hub Archdiocese seeks Der Popenfuhrer's RSVP to visit request

[Ian David]

Hub Archdiocese seeks pope's RSVP to visit request

By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff | July 17, 2007

Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley has reiterated his invitation to Pope {Ratso} Benedict XVI to visit Boston next year, but has not received a response, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston said yesterday.

O'Malley is hoping that the pope will visit Boston in conjunction with a planned trip to the United Nations. A Vatican spokesman confirmed Sunday that the United Nations trip will take place next year, but said the date had not been determined.

"Cardinal O'Malley is pleased to learn that Pope Benedict has confirmed plans to visit the United Nations and the Archdiocese of New York in the spring of 2008," O'Malley's spokesman, Terrence C. Donilon, said in a statement. "At this time, we have not received any further information concerning the Holy Father's itinerary. The cardinal has personally shared with Pope Benedict that the people of the Archdiocese would be greatly pleased and encouraged if the Pope was able to visit Boston during the course of his visit to the United States."

The Globe first reported on June 3 that O'Malley had invited Benedict to visit Boston. Yesterday, the New York Post, citing unnamed Vatican sources, reported that Boston will probably be on the pope's itinerary. But spokesmen for the Boston and New York archdioceses said they have not heard any details from the Vatican about the pope's travel plans.

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