After meeting Monday with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio said he hopes the pope will soon visit New York.
"We love this pope in New York: his is an important voice, and he's very focused on the challenges of a world in crisis," De Blasio said following a meeting in the Vatican. "He reminds us that we all, always, have to be like brothers".
Although still unconfirmed, Pope Francis may visit Philadelphia in September 2015 for the World Meeting of Families, and if that happens, the pope could also make stops in Mexico as well as in other American cities.
During De Blasio's visit to Rome, which coincided with a trip to his family's ancestral home on the island of Capri, he also met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini.
De Blasio said that Italy is an example of leadership within the EU because of its anti-austerity stance, and that the US shares in its battle for growth and job creation.
Before leaving for Capri, the New York mayor also met with his Roman counterpart, Ignazio Marino.
"I feel at home," De Blasio enthused. "I feel close to my family. Mayor Marino and I hit it off right away".
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