The city of Philadelphia and World Meeting of Families (WMOF) organizers have announced a new event that will take place during the World Meeting of Families, prior to the arrival of Pope Francis — four mayors, four international cities, and a broad array of talking points.

The International Mayors Forum, co-sponsored by Lasalle University and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), will be held on Wednesday, September 23 at 6 p.m. Mayor Nutter will be joined by Mayor Mitchell J. Landrieu of New Orleans; Mayor Ignazio Marino of Rome, Italy; and Mayor José Antonio Gali Fayad of Puebla, Mexico.

“Many mayors face similar issues around the world,” Nutter said, citing public safety, education, city planning, and, of course, the role of the family as likely discussion topics at the forum.

Although just three weeks away, Nutter said that the event has been in the works since 2014 when he discussed it with Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family.

LaSalle, which will host the event, hopes to highlight the struggles of urban education.

“Often we encounter families from varied economic situations and many of our students are the first in their families to experience any form of higher education,” said Colleen Hanycz, the university’s president. “Today’s challenges in education, especially related to ensuring access to higher education, reflect a significant issue facing families around the world.”

On the business end of the forum's sponsorship is the multinational PwC, one of the “Big Four” audit and assurance companies. Between its network of firms in 157 countries, the company pulled in $34 billion in revenues last year.

“Rapid urbanization is bringing great attention to city leaders to create programs and policies that strengthen family ties and nurture the talent of the future,” said Ed Lovelidge, the metro-area managing partner at PwC.

On the mayoral selection, Nutter said that he was aiming for a “decent geographical representation” from several different regions. An unknown number of other mayors have been invited, whose names Nutter’s office will confirm once they receive a response.

Some shuttle buses will be available from Center City for the event’s attendees, according to WMOF officials.