Sanders’ Vatican Invitation Sparks Accusation of ‘Discourtesy’
- Presidential candidate says he has `enormous respect' for pope
- Visit to Rome may inject the pontiff into Democratic contest
Is Sanders’ Trip to the Vatican a Good Use of His Time?
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Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ plan to attend a Vatican-sponsored conference put him in the middle of a diplomatic row as a senior Vatican official accused the senator of showing “monumental discourtesy” in angling for an invitation that puts a political cast on the gathering.
Sanders, whose foreign policy experience is under attack by competitor Hillary Clinton, said Friday he was “very excited” to have been invited to the conference on economic and social issues hosted by a pontifical academy in Rome on April 15. It will put him at the seat of the Roman Catholic Church four days before the New York primary.