At the Vatican, Sanders blasts 'immoral' wealth inequality

[rooster59]

At the Vatican, Sanders blasts 'immoral' wealth inequality

KEN THOMAS, Associated Press
NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press


VATICAN CITY (AP) — Bernie Sanders issued a global call to action at the Vatican on Friday to address "immoral and unsustainable" wealth inequality and poverty, using the high-profile gathering to echo one of the central platforms of his presidential campaign.

The Democratic senator from Vermont cited Pope Francis and St. John Paul II repeatedly during his speech to the Vatican conference commemorating the 25th anniversary of a landmark teaching document from John Paul on social and economic justice after the Cold War.

Sanders arrived in Rome hours after wrapping up a debate in New York Thursday night, saying the opportunity to address the Vatican conference was too meaningful to pass up. The roughly 24-hour visit precedes Tuesday's crucial New York primary, which Sanders must do well in to maintain a viable challenge to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Pope Francis apologized that he couldn't personally greet participants at the Vatican conference. No meeting with Sanders was expected.

But the trip gave Sanders a moment on the world stage, placing him alongside priests, bishops, academics and two South American presidents. Sanders has been at a disadvantage during his campaign against Clinton, President Barack Obama's former secretary of state, on issues of foreign policy but he was peppered with questions from academics and ecclesiastics in a manner that might have been afforded a head of state.

Sanders trails Clinton in the Democratic primaries but the trip to the Vatican and his massive rally earlier this week with 27,000 people in New York City may have offered a glimpse of the senator's aim to become a progressive leader, win or lose.

The discussions gave him a chance to expand on his core campaign messages about the need to reform banking regulations, campaign finance rules and higher education. Asked about inequality in public education, he said it was "beyond disgraceful" and cited challenging conditions in Detroit's school system.

He told the audience that rather than a world economy that looks out for the common good, "we have been left with an economy operated for the top 1 percent, who get richer and richer as the working class, the young and the poor fall further and further behind."

"We don't choose to politicize the pope," Sanders told attendees, "but his spirit and courage and the fact, if I may say so here, that his words have gone way, way, way beyond the Catholic Church."

Sanders also warned that youth around the world are no longer satisfied with the status quo, which includes "corrupt and broken politics and an economy of stark inequality and injustice."

During the meetings, he sat next to the other main guest of honor at the Vatican: Bolivian President Evo Morales, whose is renowned for his anti-imperialist, socialist rhetoric. President Rafael Correa of Ecuador also attended.

As he walked through Vatican City's Perugino gate, Sanders was greeted about two dozen supporters, some of whom carried signs bearing Sanders' name. "This is the first candidate I have seen in awhile, a matter of fact my entire life, that I feel like wants to make real changes," said Kevin Jaksik, 29, of Austin, Texas, who now lives in Rome.

Back home, Clinton holds a significant delegate lead against Sanders, but the senator has vowed to stay in the campaign until the party's July convention. His message calling for a political revolution to address wealth inequality and the influence of Wall Street on U.S. politics has galvanized many Democrats and independents.

Despite being enmeshed in an increasingly bitter campaign against Clinton, Sanders aides said the trip was not aimed at appealing to Catholic voters who comprise a large share of the Democratic electorate in New York and an upcoming contest in Pennsylvania.

The Vatican has been loath to get involved in electoral campaigns and usually tries to avoid any perception of partisanship involving the pope. Popes rarely travel to countries during the thick of political campaigns, knowing a papal photo opportunity with a sitting head of state could be exploited for political ends.

As a result, the invitation to Sanders to address the Vatican conference raised eyebrows and allegations that the senator lobbied for the invitation.

The chancellor for the pontifical academy, Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, has said he invited Sanders because he was the only U.S. presidential candidate who showed deep interest in the teachings of Francis.

The Rev. Matt Malone, editor of the Jesuit magazine America, said Sanders' trip was unlikely to have much of an impact on Catholic voters, noting that conferences like the one Sanders is attending "happen all the time."

"I don't think that Bernie Sanders going to the Vatican is going to help Bernie with Catholics any more than Ted Cruz going to a matzo factory is going to help him with the Jewish vote," said Malone, who served as a speechwriter to former Rep. Marty Meehan, a Massachusetts Democrat.

But there were other benefits. 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.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-04-16

[Jingthing]

It was bad taste of the Vatican to invite him in the middle of a campaign.

[jmd8800]

It was bad taste of the Vatican to invite him in the middle of a campaign.

Why?

[Jingthing]

It was bad taste of the Vatican to invite him in the middle of a campaign.

Why?

It is not done. It is unseemly. They should have known better. It's an indication that the Vatican prefers one leading candidate over all others. That's the impression that they give whether they feel that way or not. The Vatican should not even give the impression of meddling in a U.S. election. I don't blame Sanders for attending but I blame the Vatican for inviting. For Sanders, who is objectively very weak on foreign policy, a foreign trip of any kind could be helpful. It's not really about the Catholic vote. It's a about giving him more cred, which he needs.

Edited April 16, 2016 by Jingthing

[Steely Dan]

It was bad taste of the Vatican to invite him in the middle of a campaign.

I dunno, his private Jet must have made the journey a whizz, albeit at the expense of a rather large carbon footprint. ;-)

Follow up on that political grandstanding and the U.S would no doubt run out of bog paper within five years.

Edited April 16, 2016 by Steely Dan

[keemapoot]

It was bad taste of the Vatican to invite him in the middle of a campaign.

I dunno, his private Jet must have made the journey a whizz, albeit at the expense of a rather large carbon footprint. ;-)

I think he jumped at the chance for a free junket. There's no way with his income he could have taken an all-expense paid trip to Rome for himself and 10 family members from what I read.

I wonder if they gave him a free tour of the Vatican Museum?

[shunter]

Did he lambaste the religious Catholic Mafia concerning their obscene wealth and their reluctance to use it to assist those in need?

Somehow I doubt it.

​Political gangster meets with religious bankster gangsters, peasants can eat cake!!

Pond life the lot of them,

Edited April 17, 2016 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal.

[RuamRudy]

Did he lambaste the religious Catholic Mafia concerning their obscene wealth and their reluctance to use it to assist those in need?

Somehow I doubt it.

​Political gangster meets with religious bankster gangsters, peasants can eat cake!!

Pond life the lot of them,

I remember during a trip to Peru, struggling to comprehend the juxtaposition of dirt poor people living in what was essentially mud huts, next to these massive, gilded churches and cathedrals. Keep them poor and keep them reproducing seems to be the Christian way.

[shirtless]

I bet their was no comment from the catholic Church , they need to be taxed ,

[Jingthing]

Contrary to expectations Papa Frank DID meet with Grandpapa Bernie.

I reckon the topics of women's right to choose didn't come up ...

[arjunadawn]

Sanders and the pope are birds of a feather. It is not a pejorative. It is not conjecture. It is not a reach at all. They are both socialists on every single point. The pope's positions are not even teased from the reflections of his theology; they are overtly declared in secular forum. It is always noteworthy that socialists desire redistribution for all, but for they always demand that for some, more of the all.

[keemapoot]

It was bad taste of the Vatican to invite him in the middle of a campaign.

By the Pope meeting with Bernie, and by bunking overnight 'at the Pope's house in the room next door,' in spite of protestations by the Pope that it didn't mean anything overtly political, I think the message us yuuuge.

Sanders and his wife stayed overnight at the pope's residence, the Domus Santa Marta hotel in the Vatican gardens, on the same floor as the pope. They were seen at the hotel reception, carrying their own bags.

Even though the meeting was merely a greeting, and not a sit down, this will reverberate throughout the world and the USA, especially among Catholics.

Bernie workin the Pope. ROME IS BERNING

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/04/16/sanders-gets-rare-election-year-meeting-with-pope-talked-about-climate-change-income-inequality.html

[helpisgood]

It was bad taste of the Vatican to invite him in the middle of a campaign.

Why?

It is not done. It is unseemly. They should have known better. It's an indication that the Vatican prefers one leading candidate over all others. That's the impression that they give whether they feel that way or not. The Vatican should not even give the impression of meddling in a U.S. election. I don't blame Sanders for attending but I blame the Vatican for inviting. For Sanders, who is objectively very weak on foreign policy, a foreign trip of any kind could be helpful. It's not really about the Catholic vote. It's a about giving him more cred, which he needs.

If the Vatican is supporting or appearing to support a major US presidential candidate, it's funny that they are supporting the one Jewish major party candidate.

I can't imagine them supporting Hillary after what she did to Honduras as Sec. of State, a country with many Roman Catholics.

Edited April 17, 2016 by helpisgood

[MZurf]

Sanders and the pope are birds of a feather. It is not a pejorative. It is not conjecture. It is not a reach at all. They are both socialists on every single point. The pope's positions are not even teased from the reflections of his theology; they are overtly declared in secular forum. It is always noteworthy that socialists desire redistribution for all, but for they always demand that for some, more of the all.

Says it all.

[helpisgood]

Sanders and the pope are birds of a feather. It is not a pejorative. It is not conjecture. It is not a reach at all. They are both socialists on every single point. The pope's positions are not even teased from the reflections of his theology; they are overtly declared in secular forum. It is always noteworthy that socialists desire redistribution for all, but for they always demand that for some, more of the all.

Says it all.

What did Jesus say about giving to the poor?

[MZurf]

Sanders and the pope are birds of a feather. It is not a pejorative. It is not conjecture. It is not a reach at all. They are both socialists on every single point. The pope's positions are not even teased from the reflections of his theology; they are overtly declared in secular forum. It is always noteworthy that socialists desire redistribution for all, but for they always demand that for some, more of the all.

Says it all.

What did Jesus say about giving to the poor?

Google is your friend:

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Jesus-And-The-Poor/

[helpisgood]

Sanders and the pope are birds of a feather. It is not a pejorative. It is not conjecture. It is not a reach at all. They are both socialists on every single point. The pope's positions are not even teased from the reflections of his theology; they are overtly declared in secular forum. It is always noteworthy that socialists desire redistribution for all, but for they always demand that for some, more of the all.

Says it all.

What did Jesus say about giving to the poor?

Google is your friend:

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Jesus-And-The-Poor/

Thanks and great video from Maher!

[JohnDodd]

The Vatican seems to be the focal point for a lot that's happening. Wonder why?.....Sanders " we don't choose to politicize the Pope" no need he's Political enough, flying around and meeting World "Leaders" making a Masons hand shake with Obama, this guy is THE POLITICIAN....any idea what he has got stashed in those cellars. Sanders and his boring rhetoric of " wealth inequality was immoral and unsustainable", what does he intend to do about that..zilch, he couldn't do anything, he will follow orders just like the rest have, and although distant in Europe I am picking up Bad Vibes....Syrian Peace talks a joke.....the Syrian Election gives Assad a strong hand....along with more SU 30s if needed.. I hear of big troop buildup amongst the "moderate' rebels...and the old decrepid Saudi gang of Champagne and Viagra "Prince's" and strict Wahhibsism for the rest....no wonder there is no shortage of volunteer's for Jihad, but what I don't understand is why these blood thirsty, throat slashing fanatical Muslims haven't attacked Israel.The supposed mortal enemy of Islam....a lot of strings being pulled by the real Rulers of this Planet.

[blazes]

Sanders is the only politician in recent history in ANY country who doesn't send me to sleep (despite his overly long rants). (Corbyn is a front-runner in the sleep-inducing department.)

However, I do wish he would stop pandering to the anti-oil eco-freaks among his supporters. How would he have made the trip to Rome if oil were not lubricating his journey?? One hopes that, like Trump, if elected he will simply abandon a lot of the BS he has been spouting in the campaign.

Depressing (even distressing) to imagine HRC on our tv screens for the next four years.

[Caveat Emptor]

No better venue to rant about immoral wealth than the Vatican.

[RuamRudy]

Sanders and the pope are birds of a feather. It is not a pejorative. It is not conjecture. It is not a reach at all. They are both socialists on every single point. The pope's positions are not even teased from the reflections of his theology; they are overtly declared in secular forum. It is always noteworthy that socialists desire redistribution for all, but for they always demand that for some, more of the all.

Maybe they should adopt the capitalist mentality - greed, greed and more greed for themselves and their ilk? Damn the little people to lives of toil and servitude; as long as those at the top and those who put them there are nauseatingly wealthy, capitalism, in its bastardised form, is doing what it is meant to do.

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why, in such a disgustlingly unfair world, in a world where the evidence of entwined corporate and governmental corruption on an almost unimaginable scale mounts almost by the day, the little people accept it in their stride and do their utmost to bolster and maintain the very institutions that keep them down, and will keep their children down too. Sadly, the lie of the American dream has become globalised.

[Publicus]

It is not done. It is unseemly. They should have known better. It's an indication that the Vatican prefers one leading candidate over all others. That's the impression that they give whether they feel that way or not. The Vatican should not even give the impression of meddling in a U.S. election. I don't blame Sanders for attending but I blame the Vatican for inviting. For Sanders, who is objectively very weak on foreign policy, a foreign trip of any kind could be helpful. It's not really about the Catholic vote. It's a about giving him more cred, which he needs.

If the Vatican is supporting or appearing to support a major US presidential candidate, it's funny that they are supporting the one Jewish major party candidate.

I can't imagine them supporting Hillary after what she did to Honduras as Sec. of State, a country with many Roman Catholics.

The pope and the Vatican have deep and broad longstanding international interactions to include on every continent. The pope is from Argentina and Thailand has its own Roman Catholic Cardinal and lots of 1% wealthy Thai Catholic adherents.

So Bernie who barely even talks about Israel was completely out of his element of domestic US priorities only. The only things Bernie said about the world was that he's against it, or at the least against the 1% whomever they may be and where ever they are.

It would be hard to find any evidence the pope, who is from Argentina, or that the Vatican have any objections to Hillary Clinton in any of her diverse capacities, whether as First Lady, US Senator elected twice from New York state, SecState, citizen extraordinaire. (This sentence will bring out the Hillary Haters for the next three pages )

The anti-American leftist government of Argentina is now gone and Argentines have taken to doing a tango with the United States. The rest of the Latin American leftist USA hater governments are collapsing, to include the now hard-pressed Bolivian President Evo Morales whom Bernie was seated next to. Morales is probably recalling 2009 when the leftist anti-USA president of Honduras got the heave-ho from the country's supreme court for defying court orders and decisions based in their constitution.

Bernie actually said many things that are in fact salient about the global 1%. Good on Bernie for many of the points he made about wealth and economic inequality. Bernie did us well by the trip. It was appropriate and in good taste Bernie did not assault any nations by name or any national leaders abroad by name, and he stayed away from denouncing US Republicans or his opponent HRC, which is also good form for the event.

The salient fact of the invitation and the visit is however that the Vatican bishop who invited Bernie almost surely knows more about the world of nations, globalisation, international organisations and global regional groupings, alliances, strategic partnerships, trade, currencies and so on than Bernie does. The bishop might even know some of the 1%.

[lannarebirth]

Sanders and the pope are birds of a feather. It is not a pejorative. It is not conjecture. It is not a reach at all. They are both socialists on every single point. The pope's positions are not even teased from the reflections of his theology; they are overtly declared in secular forum. It is always noteworthy that socialists desire redistribution for all, but for they always demand that for some, more of the all.

Maybe they should adopt the capitalist mentality - greed, greed and more greed for themselves and their ilk? Damn the little people to lives of toil and servitude; as long as those at the top and those who put them there are nauseatingly wealthy, capitalism, in its bastardised form, is doing what it is meant to do.

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why, in such a disgustlingly unfair world, in a world where the evidence of entwined corporate and governmental corruption on an almost unimaginable scale mounts almost by the day, the little people accept it in their stride and do their utmost to bolster and maintain the very institutions that keep them down, and will keep their children down too. Sadly, the lie of the American dream has become globalised.

It's not hard to understand. Imagine you had a retirement savings system whereby the fates of corporations directly impacted on your personal wealth. One may not consciously support the oligarchs but they've created a system where your interests are aligned with theirs. While the possessors of financial assets may barely understand how the global economy works, the oligarchs certainly do. War, trade pacts, offshore banking is all good for business and thereby the masses that hold tiny percentages of those businesses. Not good for the folks with minimal assets who are called on to fight those wars though. It seems they're just starting to get that.

[Jingthing]

If the Vatican is supporting or appearing to support a major US presidential candidate, it's funny that they are supporting the one Jewish major party candidate.

I can't imagine them supporting Hillary after what she did to Honduras as Sec. of State, a country with many Roman Catholics.

Well, I don't think the Vatican was really endorsing anyone.

But it gave that appearance.

Bernie is not only a current major party major presidential candidate who happens to be a Jew (totally non-religious) but he is the first Jew in all of American history to be in that position. Of course, he won't be nominated, but that's neither here nor there.

I kind of like what The Forward says about Bernie's invitation:

But there’s an intriguing, unspoken symbolism in the convening of an international Catholic conference on social and economic justice at which two central figures — the keynote speaker and the most visible celebrity — are the program’s only two non-Christians, a pair of American Jews.

It speaks volumes about the continuing role of Jews in the cause of social progress. At a time when so many voices in the world look at the Jews as a sort of right-wing force, and so much of the Jewish community’s attention is trained on fighting off the left, the reality is that Jews continue to lead the good fight. Leave it to the Vatican to notice.

Read more: http://forward.com/opinion/338490/what-the-vaticans-invitation-to-bernie-sanders-says-about-jews/#ixzz4671JTa00

http://forward.com/opinion/338490/what-the-vaticans-invitation-to-bernie-sanders-says-about-jews/

[up2u2]

Very good move by Bernie and his speech was just brilliant. Neither Bernie or the Pope are Socialists. They do share similar values though in respect of protecting the poor and disadvantaged and social and wealth equality. There are moderate Catholics that also share those values and these are the ones Bernie is targeting. Not all Catholics are far Right Wing nutters. Most are good decent people and are not homophobic racists pushing their religious bigotry on others.

'Feel the Bern' - 'A Future to Believe In'

[helpisgood]

It is not done. It is unseemly. They should have known better. It's an indication that the Vatican prefers one leading candidate over all others. That's the impression that they give whether they feel that way or not. The Vatican should not even give the impression of meddling in a U.S. election. I don't blame Sanders for attending but I blame the Vatican for inviting. For Sanders, who is objectively very weak on foreign policy, a foreign trip of any kind could be helpful. It's not really about the Catholic vote. It's a about giving him more cred, which he needs.

If the Vatican is supporting or appearing to support a major US presidential candidate, it's funny that they are supporting the one Jewish major party candidate.

I can't imagine them supporting Hillary after what she did to Honduras as Sec. of State, a country with many Roman Catholics.

The pope and the Vatican have deep and broad longstanding international interactions to include on every continent. The pope is from Argentina and Thailand has its own Roman Catholic Cardinal and lots of 1% wealthy Thai Catholic adherents.

So Bernie who barely even talks about Israel was completely out of his element of domestic US priorities only. The only things Bernie said about the world was that he's against it, or at the least against the 1% whomever they may be and where ever they are.

It would be hard to find any evidence the pope, who is from Argentina, or that the Vatican have any objections to Hillary Clinton in any of her diverse capacities, whether as First Lady, US Senator elected twice from New York state, SecState, citizen extraordinaire. (This sentence will bring out the Hillary Haters for the next three pages )

The anti-American leftist government of Argentina is now gone and Argentines have taken to doing a tango with the United States. The rest of the Latin American leftist USA hater governments are collapsing, to include the now hard-pressed Bolivian President Evo Morales whom Bernie was seated next to. Morales is probably recalling 2009 when the leftist anti-USA president of Honduras got the heave-ho from the country's supreme court for defying court orders and decisions based in their constitution.

Bernie actually said many things that are in fact salient about the global 1%. Good on Bernie for many of the points he made about wealth and economic inequality. Bernie did us well by the trip. It was appropriate and in good taste Bernie did not assault any nations by name or any national leaders abroad by name, and he stayed away from denouncing US Republicans or his opponent HRC, which is also good form for the event.

The salient fact of the invitation and the visit is however that the Vatican bishop who invited Bernie almost surely knows more about the world of nations, globalisation, international organisations and global regional groupings, alliances, strategic partnerships, trade, currencies and so on than Bernie does. The bishop might even know some of the 1%.

You have ignored what Hillary and the USA did in Honduras in 2009 (read Hillary's book, Hard Choices, before the publishers edited out that section about Honduras for the paperback edition). There are very many articles expounding on how the USA meddled yet again in another Latin American country to protect American international corporate interests.

You may want to read what this Honduran activist said about the coup before she was assassinated:

http://www.thenation.com/article/chronicle-of-a-honduran-assassination-foretold/

There's that old maxim: Follow the money. And, HRC is a well-trained bloodhound when it comes to that. Why do you think she gets so much financial support from big money? Do you think it's about ideology and spreading democracy ? Why do you think she wanted to be sec. of state while Bill was running around the world asking for money?

Say what you want about Bernie, but everyone knows he gets his financial support for his campaign solely from the people while your hero is sucking up to the wealthy. Gee, so who does she owe favors to? By the way, are you wealthy, too? If so, I can understand your support of HRC. If not, then you are being naive or you're just in a fantasy land.

As for American foreign policy in Latin America, you really need to read up on it. Find out about the coups and the interests of a certain American fruit company, ITT in Chile, Operation Condor and more, and then add a new chapter starring Hillary Clinton.

[arjunadawn]

Sanders and the pope are birds of a feather. It is not a pejorative. It is not conjecture. It is not a reach at all. They are both socialists on every single point. The pope's positions are not even teased from the reflections of his theology; they are overtly declared in secular forum. It is always noteworthy that socialists desire redistribution for all, but for they always demand that for some, more of the all.

Maybe they should adopt the capitalist mentality - greed, greed and more greed for themselves and their ilk? Damn the little people to lives of toil and servitude; as long as those at the top and those who put them there are nauseatingly wealthy, capitalism, in its bastardised form, is doing what it is meant to do.

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why, in such a disgustlingly unfair world, in a world where the evidence of entwined corporate and governmental corruption on an almost unimaginable scale mounts almost by the day, the little people accept it in their stride and do their utmost to bolster and maintain the very institutions that keep them down, and will keep their children down too. Sadly, the lie of the American dream has become globalised.

I wholeheartedly agree with your second paragraph. The first? Not so much. It misses the point- the only consistent and universal point.

This point was established by the founder of Christianity, confirmed in the affirmations to Pilate (and even later Roman leaders) that the kingdom [they] speak of is "not of this world," and again this separation was reinforced during the reformation- the Church should stay the _____ out of secular matters! (The church implicitly agreed as evidenced by their long good night from overt politics for the past hundreds of years). All modern liberal ideology and post enlightenment modernity is built upon this implicit separation of church and state, for most westerners.

When I note Sanders and the pope are "birds of a feather" I am not indicting because a disagreeable ideology is chosen (socialism), opposed to a "capitalist mentality." I object that the Papacy interjects on behalf of any ideology, chooses sides in any secular drama, and muddies its evangelical feet in the alleys of the world's capitals again. People should be a bit more horrified that by "progressive" means the Vatican is making the church's authority on secular matters commonplace, regular, acceptable. It is not. It is a worse despotism than the tyrant for the tyrant does not wrap himself in the cloak of god!

The church should "adopt" nothing. The eternal, never changing, dogmatic, infallible church "adopt[ing[" anything should be cause for concern. Vox populi is the socialism that the jesuits sharpen their militancy with.

[arjunadawn]

Very good move by Bernie and his speech was just brilliant. Neither Bernie or the Pope are Socialists. They do share similar values though in respect of protecting the poor and disadvantaged and social and wealth equality. There are moderate Catholics that also share those values and these are the ones Bernie is targeting. Not all Catholics are far Right Wing nutters. Most are good decent people and are not homophobic racists pushing their religious bigotry on others.

'Feel the Bern' - 'A Future to Believe In'

Its a curious thing for me but Sanders, the man who's politics I despise most, is actually the man who I like most in this election cycle. At least he is consistent. At least he seems consistently honest. He evidences a man who deeply believes in his assertions. Few of his colleagues come close. However, his politics are anathema to so much of what made America great and those politics are similar to the pope- Sanders is a "socialist." The pope is a marxist/socialist. They differ only in degree, militancy.

See The Jesuits, Fr. M. Martin, and/or read the reviews on Amazon.

[up2u2]

Very good move by Bernie and his speech was just brilliant. Neither Bernie or the Pope are Socialists. They do share similar values though in respect of protecting the poor and disadvantaged and social and wealth equality. There are moderate Catholics that also share those values and these are the ones Bernie is targeting. Not all Catholics are far Right Wing nutters. Most are good decent people and are not homophobic racists pushing their religious bigotry on others.

'Feel the Bern' - 'A Future to Believe In'

Its a curious thing for me but Sanders, the man who's politics I despise most, is actually the man who I like most in this election cycle. At least he is consistent. At least he seems consistently honest. He evidences a man who deeply believes in his assertions. Few of his colleagues come close. However, his politics are anathema to so much of what made America great and those politics are similar to the pope- Sanders is a "socialist." The pope is a marxist/socialist. They differ only in degree, militancy.

See The Jesuits, Fr. M. Martin, and/or read the reviews on Amazon.

If your only argument against Bernie's values of a better fairer society is running around yelling Socialist , Communist, Marxist till your head falls off you don't have much of an argument.