Washington, Apr 16 (IANS): Bernie Sanders said he met Pope Francis at 6 a.m. (local time) on Saturday at the papal residence in Santa Marta.

"He is a beautiful man," Sanders told ABC on Saturday. "I am not a Catholic, but there is a radiance that comes from him. It was very wonderful to meet him."

Sanders was joined by his wife, and Pope Francis was joined by Argentine Bishop and Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, ABC reported.

Jane, Sander's wife, is Catholic. She said "the trip was definitely worth it".

The Democratic presidential hopeful said: "I just conveyed to him my admiration for the extraordinary work he is doing raising some of the most important issues facing our planet and the billions of people on the Earth and injecting the need for morality in the global economy."

Sanders, who often talks about his admiration for the Pope in speeches and his writing, said he believed Pope Francis was "one of the great leaders in modern world history".

Sanders attended a conference on social, economic and environmental issues hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.