But how this came about has become a point of contention.

While the US senator said he accepted a Vatican invitation, one of the conference's organisers said that his campaign had lobbied for his inclusion.

Margaret Archer, president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which is hosting the conference said "Sanders made the first move, for obvious reasons".

The invitation sent to Mr Sanders was signed by Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

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Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo said the Church will continue to collaborate with the United Nations on any joint project that "does not go against the doctrine of the Church".

The Vatican academy is sponsoring a one-day symposium on July 22 with the United Nations' global initiative, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, headed by US economist Jeffrey Sachs.

The academy is also sponsoring a related day-long workshop on July 21, bringing together 60 mayors and representatives of major cities around the world to take steps against modern-day forms of slavery in their communities.

In April, the international coalition Voice of the Family voiced "grave" concern at Vatican collaboration with the UN at a climate change summit.

It was claimed that environmental issues at the UN become an umbrella to cover a wide spectrum of attacks on human life and the family.

Opposition was expressed at the Vatican cooperating with organisations and individuals who promote population control in ways that clearly violate Church teaching.

At the press conference, Bishop Sanchez was asked if the Vatican was letting itself become a platform for the United Nations to promote its own agenda.

Bishop Sanchez said the idea for and organisation of the July 22 meeting came from the pontifical academy with added input from the UN development network.

"The United Nations is not the devil. Rather, quite the opposite," he said.

Pope Paul VI, who was the first pope to visit the United Nations, told the general assembly in 1965 that the organisation represented the mandatory path of modern civilization and world peace, the bishop said.

Successive popes showed the same kind of support with their own visits to the UN, too, he added.

"To see the devil in the United Nations, which some on the right tend to do, is not the position of the Holy See," he said.

Sources

• Catholic News Service
• National Catholic Reporter
• Image: Tea Party Tribune