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 trip abroad means that Sanders will be off the campaign trail in New York for a period of time before the state’s hotly contested April 19th primary against Hillary Clinton. Sanders has been hoping to upset Clinton in her home state and his absence from the campaign trail in the final week of the battle for New York comes as a surprise.
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.”
Sanders did not say he would be meeting with Pope Francis in his release.
The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences also marked the upcoming trip in a statement, writing, “We’re delighted to host this conference to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Centesimus Annus, bringing together world leaders, including U.S. Senator Sanders.”