Pope confirms he did NOT have a meeting with Bernie Sanders: handshake and “nothing more”

[Iamaartist]

http://www.dailynewsbin.com/opinion/pope-confirms-he-did-not-have-a-meeting-with-bernie-sanders-handshake-and-nothing-more/24497/


Only source I could find......


Now that Bernie Sanders is making the dubious claim that he had a meeting with Pope Francis, even after the Pope’s official spokesman had already confirmed there would be no such meeting, Francis is publicly pushing back against the claim. Speaking directly to the media himself, the Pope explained that Sanders was simply waiting in a spot where he knew the Pope would be, and ambushed him for a handshake. The Pope says he went along with it out of nothing more than “good manners.”


Pope Francis explained to a pool of reporters that when Sanders pinned him down, he was willing to shake the hands of him and his wife and “nothing more.” The Pope went on to explain to the media that he had no interest in getting involved in American politics, and that anyone who views the incident as endorsement or embrace of Sanders or his politics should see – in his words – “a psychiatrist.”

Yet Bernie Sanders is now claiming that he met with the Pope, after having spent the week claiming that such a meeting would happen. Sanders has said that no pictures were taken, and now we know why: there was no meeting. Any photographs would have been of an awkward unwanted handshake and nothing more.

Nonetheless, despite the clearly dissatisfied pushback from Pope Francis himself regarding the stunt Bernie Sanders just pulled, Sanders is declaring that “Pope Francis and Sen. Bernie Sanders met at the Vatican on Saturday.”

[MBS]

1. do look elsewhere in this forum

There are 3 or 4 references to super-authoritative primary sources - in Commonweal, Cruz, and National Catholic Reporter - that confirm your post.

[MADem]

2. Sanders was simply waiting in a spot where he knew the Pope would be, and ambushed him!

Waiting by the door as he headed to the airport to go to Lesbos!

[radical noodle]

3. Another source

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/04/16/bernie-sanders-met-pope-francis/83118290/

The pope, who made a brief trip to Greece on Saturday to visit a refugee camp, spoke to reporters on the plane home about his encounter with the American politician. "When I came down, I greeted him, I shook his hand and nothing more. This is called good manners and it is not getting involved in politics," the pope said, according to Reuters. "If anyone thinks that greeting someone is getting involved in politics, I recommend that he look for a psychiatrist," he said, laughing.

The official Vatican transcript, issued later, quoted the pope's remarks as saying that Sanders "greeted me politely together with his wife (…) It is called ‘manners’ and has nothing to do with politics” he said. The official transcript, however, did not include the humorous aside regarding psychiatry.

[LAS14]

5. I'm making this its own post in GDP. nt

[radical noodle]

9. Great!

[Cha]

22. Yeah, The Pope was gracious and BS what the hell..?

[LAS14]

4. I was sorry to hear on the 5 minute NPR news update...

... that "Sanders met with Pope Francis." They just took the PR statement of the Sanders campaign at face value. I'd expect better.

[Her Sister]

6. I guess they trusted the source! Which was BS himself

maybe now they'll know better! This is a teachable moment ~ Like Norman Goldman likes to say!!

[MBS]

17. Yes, I was disappointed, too.

PBS did the same thing.
NPR and PBS are not quite what they used to be.

[Thinkingabout]

7. I would hope Sanders would not try to make this any more than what it is.

The meeting was with a think tank group like the Third Way is, for those who hates the Third Way, here you go.

[Iamaartist]

11. Agree ...thank-you

[Lucinda]

16. I hope he does!

It will not benefit him at all.

[Tommy2Tone]

8. Well I have already had one comment hidden today

so I will comment only to ask is anyone surprised the truth is quite different than the hype?

[radical noodle]

10. I'm certainly not surprised

When I first heard they'd met this morning, I was skeptical about what actually happened.

[Tommy2Tone]

12. I think they were in a conga line together.

Here is the photo. Sorry but Bernie was just ahead of Ben Carson.

[Iamaartist]

13. LOL

[radical noodle]

14. Thanks for this!

First laugh of the day!

[NBachers]

21. Doing the French Mystique

Throw out your Hands
Stick Out Your Tush
Hands on your Hips
Give Them a Push!
You'll be Surprized,
You're Doing the French Mystique!
Voilaaa!!!

[FloridaBlues]

15. Did any one else hear this morning a reporter with MSNBC who commented the pope and Bernie

Met in the Hall way Not in his Vatican apt. She was in Rome with Bern

[MBS]

18. in the hallway of the guest house Santa Marta.

Pope Francis does not live in the papal apartments, but in a room in the Santa Marta guest house. Most of the guests for this conference (except for the two presidents, who stayed at their respective embassies) were also housed there.

[stopbush]

19. Sanders is exhibiting not only being star struck by this celebrity Pope,

but a total lack of diplomatic experience and decorum. Perhaps he can't be blamed for acting the way he is, but it's on the diplomatic level of W giving Merkel that unwanted shoulder rub.

Cringe worthy.

[Princess Turandot]

20. See my thread here..

it has the source information etc.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1107&pid=103599

[SunSeeker]

23. More like ambush and nothing more. nt