Bernie Sanders will put his campaign on hold in the United States next week when he travels to the Vatican to speak at a conference on social, economic and environmental issues.
Sanders will be flying to Rome immediately following the highly-anticipated last debate with rival Hillary Clinton on April 15. The conference at the Vatican is to be hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. The Vermont senator says:
“I am grateful to the Vatican for inviting me to talk about an issue that is very dear to my heart, which is how we create a moral economy that works for all of the people rather than just the top one percent. I will also in my remarks be addressing the planetary crisis of climate change and the moral imperative to make sure we leave this planet in a way that is healthy and habitable for future generations.”
The very same day Sanders speaks out on inequality at the Vatican, Hillary Clinton will be holding a fundraiser hosted by Gary Gensler, a former partner at Goldman Sachs. Gentler is also Clinton’s Chief Financial Officer for her campaign. The fundraiser will take place in Hong Kong and attendees will have to pledge $2700 to Clinton’s campaign.
Sanders has long been a supporter of Pope Francis, speaking about him often:
“I think the Vatican has been aware of the fact that, in many respects, the pope’s views and my views are very much related. He has talked in an almost unprecedented way about the need to address income and wealth inequality, poverty and to combat the greed that we’re seeing all over this world, which is doing so much harm to so many people. … For me, it is an extraordinary honor to receive this invitation.”
Sanders is expected to be the only American public official speaking at the conference. The gathering will take place four days before the highly anticipated New York democratic primary.
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