Bernie Sanders' campaign announced Friday that the Vermont senator will visit Vatican City on April 15 -- just four days before the crucial New York primary.
Sanders was invited to attend a conference hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences "on social, economic, and environmental issues," according to a release from the Sanders campaign.
The Democratic presidential candidate's appearance at the conference will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the "Centesimus Annus," an encyclical from Pope John Paul II that addresses workers' rights and other economic and social issues that are similar to those Sanders has stressed in his White House bid.
"I am delighted to have been invited by the Vatican to a meeting on restoring social justice and environmental sustainability to the world economy," Sanders said in the release.
"Pope Francis has made clear that we must overcome 'the globalization of indifference' in order to reduce economic inequalities, stop financial corruption and protect the natural environment. That is our challenge in the United States and in the world."
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In an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Friday morning, Sanders praised the pope when he was asked about the invitation.
"I was very moved by the invitation, which just was made public today," he said. "I am a big, big fan of the pope. Obviously, there are areas where we disagree, on women's rights and gay rights. But he has played an unbelievable role -- an unbelievable role -- of injecting a moral consequence into the economy."
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