Bernie Sanders will speak at an event in the Vatican next week as he continues to try and build a head of steam in the race for the Democratic nomination.<br />The Vermont senator will talk about economics as he has made income inequality a central tenet of his message.<br />Sanders has told MSNBC that he is a "big, big fan of the pope."<br />The 74-year-old, who has the chance to become America's first Jewish president, stands to gain much from aligning himself with Pope Francis.<br />The Argentine pontif also echoes a similar message to the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world of showing compassion to the poor.<br />Sanders looks to gain the edge over frontrunner Hillary Clinton before the New York primary on April 19.
