The most definitive article to date: Vatican: Pope Didn't Invite Bernie Sanders [View all]

[BlueMTexpat]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/10/vatican-pope-didn-t-invite-bernie-sanders.html

ROME—Not since Pope Francis’s ill-advised meeting with gay marriage opponent Kim Davis has there been so much “he said, she said” controversy about the pope meddling in American politics.

On Friday, Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders announced that he was “very excited” about having just received an invitation to speak at a small, invitation-only scholarly conference at the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences conference celebrating the 25th year anniversary of an encyclical “Centesimus Annus,” written by Pope John Paul II on the evils of capitalism.

Francis is not expected to attend the conference, which will take place April 15 and 16 with around 30 participants, including Bolivian president Evo Morales and Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa. Francis will be traveling to Lesbos, Greece, on the 16th to shed light on the Syrian refugee crisis there.

The Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told The Daily Beast that it wasn’t the pope who personally invited the politician. “The invitation was made on behalf of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, not by Pope Francis,” he said. “There is no expectation that the pope will meet Mr. Sanders.” He then added that he could not completely exclude the possibility, but that nothing was on the agenda at the moment.
...
Sorondo later toned down his initial comments telling CNN the invitation should not be seen as an endorsement of the senator’s nomination. “It does not signify any support of the campaign," Sorondo said. "We want to establish a dialogue between North America and South America so we thought to invite a [U.S.] politician. The President of Bolivia will also be there. Perhaps the others (candidates) would have been interested but they did not request to come."

He also confirmed to CNN that Sanders had reached out to the Vatican first. “He has expressed an interest many times in the Pope's encyclical and it's clear that he has an interest in studying it,” Sorondo said. “It might have that effect, but we are not looking to support the campaign."

Confirmation from the Academy that a) Bernie (or a surrogate) reached out first and b) requested to attend.

Evo Morales: http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4768431&Itemid=1

Rafael Correa: http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Ecuador-Rally-Defends-Reform-and-Correa-Against-Anti-Tax-March-20160407-0039.html

More: John Oliver and Correa: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/comedian-john-oliver-rattles-ecuadors-president-rafael-correa-n307641

**************
I will post no more on this subject.