# If Bernie met the Pope **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 10, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762 "2016-04-10T00:59:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/1 "2016-04-10T00:59:01Z")
If Bernie Sanders had an audience with the Pope, would that gain him votes among Catholics? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/2 "2016-04-10T01:14:43Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![bobo\_blesinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecae2f/32.png) [@bobo\_blesinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobo_blesinger)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/3 "2016-04-10T01:26:33Z")
No ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/4 "2016-04-10T01:37:15Z")
Why would it? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/5 "2016-04-10T02:02:05Z")
There might be a (very) few Catholics who would vote for him after an audience. However, among conservative Catholics that are mad at the pope, (who would, typically be voting for Trump or Cruz, anyway), liberal Catholics who are mad at the pope, (who would probably vote for Bernie, sit out the election, or vote for some fifth party no-hope candidate, anyway), and the overwhelming majority of Catholics who are aware that the pope meets with all kinds of people all the time, there are only a tiny number of Catholics remaining who might be persuaded change their vote to Bernie simply on the report of a meeting. Popes meet with all sorts of politicians all the time, even anti-Catholic politicians or state leaders, so a meeting does not qualify as an endorsement. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/6 "2016-04-10T02:07:22Z")
I would phrase the answer as “maybe,” but it’s very late in this election cycle for it to have a significant impact, and the Pope would most likely politely decline to interfere in American electoral politics precisely because this could be taken as a sign of support. Also, even one considers Pope Francis a “liberal” Pope, he’s unlikely to favor Sanders of any of the candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/7 "2016-04-10T16:39:31Z")
What if the meeting led the Pope to convert? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/8 "2016-04-10T19:32:38Z")
> [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](#): > > If Bernie Sanders had an audience with the Pope, would that gain him votes among Catholics? Not really. Not any more than any other major American political figure who got such a meeting. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/9 "2016-04-10T19:35:17Z")
Isn’t it also odd that with all the other candidates being Christians, and freaking proud of it, the Pope wants to meet the Jewish guy? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/10 "2016-04-10T19:50:52Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Isn’t it also odd that with all the other candidates being Christians, and freaking proud of it, the Pope wants to meet the Jewish guy? Since Sanders claims to not be religious, the Pope may consider him an easy convert. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/11 "2016-04-10T20:08:53Z")
> [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](#): > > If Bernie Sanders had an audience with the Pope, would that gain him votes among Catholics? If Bernie Sanders posted HERE… unbidden, unedited… would that earn him votes? I can’t speak for religions or for assholes. When Bernie can lay claim to the same, I’d listen to him. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/12 "2016-04-10T20:12:30Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Isn’t it also odd that with all the other candidates being Christians, and freaking proud of it, the Pope wants to meet the Jewish guy? Bernie’s the closest we have to the sort of politician with whom someone like Bergoglio would actually feel at ease. Meanwhile, Ted’s an ultrafundamentalist; Hillary’s more-of-what-we-have new-boss-same-as-old-boss, nothing to get excited about; Trump is, well, Trump and a rain of fire would damage the wall paintings. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/13 "2016-04-10T23:20:25Z")
Considering previous administrations saw fit to induct Their Excellencies the Chevaliers Rupert Keith Murdoch and James Wilson Vincent Savile into the Papal Order of St. Gregory, and that untold thousands of worse than they have been dodging around the Vatican since the beginning, I doubt not that the walls would withstand a Trump of Doom. ---
**Author:** ![Yersenia\_Pestis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e495f1/32.png) [@Yersenia\_Pestis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yersenia_Pestis)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-met-the-pope/751762/14 "2016-04-11T00:32:01Z")
Maybe - conservative Catholics not a chance, slim possibility with moderates, likely with liberal Catholics (like myself) - caveat: IMHO he’s not getting the nomination