The Vatican Didn't Invite Senator Sanders To Meet With the Pope ~plus more info

[Her Sister]

http://www.politicususa.com/2016/04/15/mischief-mistake-vatican-didnt-invite-senator-sanders-meet-pope.html

They seem to have more information than I've seen elsewhere!

...According to a theologian, Catholicism scholar, and Vatican expert Massimo Faggioli, “it is noteworthy that this latest episode developed while there is a transition at the office of the apostolic nuncio (diplomat) to the United States.” The transition from Carlo Viganò, who the Pope forced to retire over the “Kim Davis” ambush, to French immigration advocate, Christophe Pierre is still ongoing.

Mr. Viganò was in Rome when the “invitation to the Vatican” news broke and Vatican watchers are flummoxed that not one U.S. bishop, no-one at the office of the “apostolic nuncio” and no-one at the Vatican’s Secretariat of State was aware of, or in communication about, the “unprecedented” invitation from the Holy Father leading them to conclude the official Vatican invitation was not an official anything.

As was announced yesterday by Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, “the Holy Father will not be meeting with the candidate, Bernie Sanders.” Mr. Faggioli said this “Sanders’ invitation episode is reminiscent of the Kim Davis episode during Pope Francis’ visit to the United States in September.” Apparently this Pope is a quick study and was not getting caught flat-footed again by American politicians.

Another Vatican expert, publisher and editor of Inside the Vatican magazine, Robert Moynihan, said that indeed, Michael Shank had been in Rome to speak at the same school Senator Sanders is scheduled to speak at a couple of weeks before the “invitation” was announced. Moynihan related that Shank was “quite transparent about his antipathy toward Hillary Clinton and his lack of respect for Obama’s presidency;” details not surprising to Americans aware of the growing animus towards Democrats.

MORE...

[Iamaartist]

1. If he did he better have that photo taken with him...that wont happen..

[LisaM]

2. K&R

Very interesting.

[BlueMTexpat]

3. SBS Campaign "Hail Mary" fail.

This ...

Mr. Faggioli said this “Sanders’ invitation episode is reminiscent of the Kim Davis episode during Pope Francis’ visit to the United States in September.” Apparently this Pope is a quick study and was not getting caught flat-footed again by American politicians.

Bad idea to piss off the Pope and those around him.

[KittyWampus]

4. Some Catholics in high positions want another Opus Dei Supreme Court Justice

I suspect.

[Princess Turandot]

5. From Faggioli's full piece in Commonweal Magazine....

Commonweal is a prominent journal whose audience is liberal American Catholics. (It is independent of the Church and run by lay people.)

His article discusses more than Sanders per se, but on that topic, he says:

Sanders and global politics. How Sanders has handled the matter of the “invitation” casts doubt on his judgment as a potential head of state (while revealing cynicism of those behind the scenes who pushed for it). A presidential candidate should exhibit greater knowledge about how the Vatican views its role in the world, not only as the center of the Catholic Church but also as a state involved in global diplomacy (and on which many other nations, including the United States, quietly rely for help in delicate situations around the world).

https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog/what-does-sanders-invitation-say-about-vatican-and-sanders

[Surya Gayatri]

10. Wish I could rec this post. Excellent background info. Thanks.

[DesertRat]

6. Interesting nt

[pandr32]

7. It seems that some of those "foreign contributions" Sanders had to give back

...should be looked into. More and more we see right-wing connections to the Sanders campaign, as is suggested in this article (right-wing asshat from Fox News working for the Pope's foreign relations)

I loved this paragraph about what a phoney baloney political stunt this whole thing is:

One wants to believe that Senator Sanders had no hand in inviting himself to speak at the school, PASS, and that it was the work of his campaign acolytes behind his back. If that is the case, then the Senator has to get some honest staffers to run his campaign and a press officer to verify every last statement he makes is going to be true; especially on national television. This is the second time the Senator made statements without vetting their veracity; first claiming Hillary Clinton said he was unqualified when she did not, and now that the Vatican invited him to come and speak with the Pope.

[LiberalFighter]

11. If his staffers did it behind his back and he is truely displeased.

All he needed to do was send his regrets and not go.

[Lucinda]

8. KNR

[fleabiscuit]

9. I can't imagine having a president with that much gullibility. Scary.

Fortunately there isn't a chance in hell of that happening.