WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today after Pope Francis addressed the United States Congress:

“Pope Francis is clearly one of the important religious and moral leaders not only in the world today but in modern history. He forces us to address some of the major issues facing humanity: war, income and wealth inequality, poverty, unemployment, greed, the death penalty and other issues that too many prefer to ignore.

“I was especially impressed by the great American leaders he cited, particularly Dorothy Day, the founder of the Catholic Worker movement, a progressive newspaper and organization which protected the poor, organized workers and stood up to the wealthy and the powerful. In citing Dorothy Day, the pope gave us a wonderful example of the never-ending struggle for justice in our country and the world.”