Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) explained why he thinks Pope Francis is a socialist and why he’s quite fond of the pontiff’s politics in a Washington Post interview published Monday night.
“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.
“When he talks about wealth being used to serve people, not as an end in itself, I agree with that,” Sanders added.
Sanders, who is the first non-Christian man to win a presidential primary, said the pope’s policies of inclusivity mean his politics will be “attacked.”
“He believes that in democratic societies, government itself should play a very strong role in protecting the most vulnerable people amongst us,” he said. “That is a direct critique of conservative politics, and of course he’s going to be attacked for that.”
Watch the full interview below via the Washington Post:
I thought Sanders was a Democrat now yet he’s still talking up the Socialist stuff. No wonder the GOP is working so hard to get him the nomination.
Yes, Pope Francis. The popular pontiff and supreme leader of the Vatican People’s Popular Front.
As usual, Bernie, you nailed it.
One can be both a Democrat and a Socialist. Unlike “Republican” and “decent human being” the two are not mutually exclusive.
Liberation theology is a thing, but Francis has been fairly doubtful about it. And socialism as I remember it being defined in my college days isn’t just a safety net. And frankly, his having run as a socialist is one reason I can’t take Sanders seriously as a Presidential candidate. This country loves the thing, in its safety-net form, but hates the word and I don’t see how he changes that.