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:
