Vatican says reports of U.S. papal visit ‘premature’

VATICAN CITY — The spokesman for Pope Benedict XVI said Sept. 20 that press reports of the pope’s visit to the United States next year were “premature” and “misleading” because no plans had been set.
Federico Lombardi said a predicted visit by the pope to United Nations headquarters in New York next April was a “plausible hypothesis” and that the Vatican was “working toward” a visit at that time. “But we have not made any commitments,” Lombardi said.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon invited the pope to New York during a visit to the Vatican this past April. The Vatican announced later the same month that Benedict had accepted the invitation but no date was announced.
On Sept. 19, The Associated Press reported that Lombardi had “confirmed” that Benedict would address the U.N. General Assembly in spring 2008.

Media outlets have reported that the pope’s U.S. visit could also include stops in Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. The spokesman refused to comment on those reports.