Senator Bernie Sanders: Pope Francis’ views are critique of conservative politics

The program’s website quickly poured on paragraphs of qualification, insisting that “the views expressed by Senator Sanders … are his own and do not reflect the views of Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation nor its related Television Network”.

“Well, what it means to be a socialist, in the sense of what the pope is talking about, what I’m talking about, is to say that we have got to do our best and live our lives in a way that alleviates human suffering, that does not accelerate the disparities of income and wealth”, Sanders told the Rev. Thomas Rosica, who works with the Vatican’s press office.

Sanders added that he agrees with the pontiff’s view that humanity should be about more than running after riches and that wealth should be put in the service of the people to counter inequality.

“I am certain I have never said anything more than what is in the social doctrine of the church”, Francis told reporters shortly before landing in the USA in September.

Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, the two rivals for the Democrat presidential nomination, spoke at the same black-majority church on Sunday in Las Vegas.

When Rosica asked the left-wing candidate if he thought Francis was a socialist, Sanders said he did.

It seems Sanders and Francis have more in common in their politics. Will he say: ‘What you have said about me?’ No!

“Given the heated environment of the current election campaign in the U.S. and the recent flare up over the Pope and religion, we felt that this would be the right time to air the interview, ” Rosica wrote in an email.

Francis has said that he finds it “strange” that people make these accusations against him.

“In my mind”, Sanders said, “in the last few years, the Pope has played an extraordinary role in speaking out on issues of enormous outcome that impact every man, woman and child not just on our country but on the planet”. “And it if necessary, I’ll recite the creed”.

“I think that the very gesture is sacred-we are supposed to meet, we are supposed to talk, but that meeting is only a tool to start true, honest dialogue”, the archbishop said. “The pope rejects the excessive individualism of left and right, challenging those who make the free market or personal choice the measure everything”.

The declaration invited ‘all sides involved in the conflict to prudence, to social solidarity and to action aimed at constructing peace.’ The Pope and patriarch also said: “We invite our churches in Ukraine to work toward social harmony, to refrain from taking part in the confrontation and to not support any further development of the conflict”.

Indeed Sanders admitted on areas such as abortion and gay rights, “we just have to disagree”.