“It’s a move toward oligarchy”.
Advertisement
Sanders took the opportunity to amplify the Catholic Church’s teachings that reflect the political themes that have defined his presidential campaign.
Sanders’ received a warm round of applause after his speech on the “Urgency of a Moral Economy”.
He was greeted by a dozen or so supporters, holding signs that read “Rome is Berning”.
Mr Sanders said inequality, injustice and pollution are causing “devastating” problems. “The conference isn’t a political event”. “We’ve been busy; you might have noticed”, he said.
The Pope added that he would keep all those at the conference – thus including Sanders – “in my prayers and good wishes, and send them my heartfelt thanks for their participation”.
There are no plans for him to meet personally with Pope Francis. The Vatican, however, said Thursday that no such meeting was planned.
But the trip gave Sanders a moment on the world stage, placing him alongside priests, bishops, academics and two South American presidents.
Instead, during his speech in Rome, Sanders said young people today want an economy that looks out for the common good and fairness for all, where everyone has access to health care, nutrition and education, what he calls a moral economy.
The Democratic presidential hopeful addressed a conference honoring the 25th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s encyclical “Centesimus Annus”, which focused on wealth and standards of living after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“I have been enormously impressed by Pope Francis speaking out, and his visionary views about creating a moral economy, an economy that works for all people, not just the people on top”, Sanders said.
At the Vatican, Mr Sanders also decried what he calls the corrupt electoral system in the USA where “billionaires can buy elections”.
“There are few places in modern thought that rival the depth and insight of the Church’s moral teachings on the market economy”, Sanders told the conference, according to his prepared remarks.
In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Friday, Sanders was asked what he had in common with Francis.
The Pontiff’s 1991 Centesimus Annus – a reflection of society after the fall of Communism – was seen as radical at the time.
Bernie Sanders may be off the campaign trail, but he was on message. Supporters have raised concerns about his leaving the campaign trail ahead of New York’s delegate-rich primary, one with an outcome that could help steer the trajectory of the Democratic primary race. The roughly 24-hour visit precedes Tuesday’s crucial NY primary, which Sanders must do well in to maintain a viable challenge to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. The trip offered his extended family a brief respite: Sanders was accompanied on the trip by his wife, Jane Sanders, and 10 family members, including four grandchildren.
Sorondo demurred, saying it was impossible to rule out Sanders and the pope running into one another during Sanders’ trip to the Vatican.
Morales had a private audience with the pope on Friday morning, during which they discussed social policy among other topics.
Rather than giving in to the status quo, Sanders said Pope Francis was an example of someone fighting back.
The Holy Father sampled a tea made from coca leaves to combat altitude sickness on a visit to La Paz a year ago.
Advertisement
“We invited the candidate who cites the pope the most in his campaign, and that is Sen”.
