Passing information — possibly the collection plate — in Philadelphia

After traveling to Rome last month to meet with Pope Francis, a Philadelphia delegation will brief business and civic leaders Tuesday morning on their trip to invite the pope to visit the city next year.

Their could be an additional motive for the meeting.

Mayor Michael Nutter, Gov. Tom Corbett and Archbishop Charles Chaput will give business leaders on their meetings at the Vatican and efforts to convince Pope Francis to attend the Eighth World Meeting of Families gathering next year in Philadelphia.

“Probably a couple hundred business leaders, civic leaders and others who will have a great interest,” Nutter said. “And certainly Archbishop Chaput, myself and the governor want to get them that much more interested, of course, in all the aspects of the World Meeting of Families — including some of the fundraising activity as well.”

When it comes to fundraising, Nutter who is co-chair of the meeting, said they will need millions of private dollars to pull off the event, especially if the pope does attend.

“Based on previous World Meeting of Families events in other cities around the world, and we’re gathering information from them as well, this is a fairly expensive event,” Nutter said.

If Pope Francis were to attend and celebrate Mass in Philadelphia, it’s unclear where that event would be staged since security would be a major consideration. When Pope John Paul II visited in 1979 the city, hundreds of thousands of people turned out.