Pope Francis did not have time to meet with Bernie Sanders when he came to the Vatican today, but plenty of other people were on hand to greet the Democratic presidential candidate and his wife Jane.

A mob of reporters and fans of the U.S. senator were waiting for him outside after he spoke at a conference earlier today.

Francis said he had hoped to swing by the conference, located in a villa deep in the Vatican gardens, Friday evening.

But Bishop Marcello Sanchez Sorondo said, as he read aloud a hand-written note of apology from the pope right before Sanders took the floor, that Francis couldn't pull it off because he was busy preparing for his trip to Greece on Saturday.

Francis asked Sanchez to 'greet the speakers and participants, requesting their understanding of this situation. I will keep them all in my prayers and good wishes, and send them my heartfelt thanks for their participation,' he said.

Pope Francis did not have time to meet with Bernie Sanders when he came to the Vatican today, but plenty of other people were on hand to greet the Democratic presidential candidate and his wife Jane, who's seen holding onto his left shoulder in the above photo

A mob of reporters and fans of the U.S. senator were waiting for him outside after he spoke at a conference earlier today

Sanders spoke at a conference commemorating the 25th anniversary of ' Centesimus Annus,' a high-level teaching document by Pope John Paul II, at the Vatican, but Pope Francis never showed

In the run-up to his brief Vatican visit, Sanders had said he would welcome a meeting with Francis. The Vatican, however, said Thursday that no such meeting was planned. He had other fans to greet, though

'Expats 4 Bernie,' one sign read as the Vermont senator was welcomed by supporters upon his arrival at the Vatican

In the run-up to his brief Vatican visit, Sanders had said he would welcome a meeting with Francis. The Vatican, however, said Thursday that no such meeting was planned.

Pope Francis did meet with at least one participant of the Vatican conference that Sanders is attending, however: the stridently anti-American President of Bolivia, Evo Morales.

Sanders and Morales were photographed sharing a hearty handshake at the beginning of the conference.

Morales met for about a half-hour Friday morning with Francis before it began.

Morales once again raised eyebrows with an unusual gift for the pontiff: three books about the health benefits of the coca leaf, the raw ingredient for cocaine.

Coca leaf is widely chewed in the Andes to fight against altitude sickness and as a mild stimulant.

The Vatican has said Francis has no plans to meet with other conference participants or with Sanders.

He has a longstanding friendship with Morales, however, and visited him in Bolivia last summer. Morales sparked a minor diplomatic incident during the visit when he gave the pope a crucifix fashioned as a communist-style hammer and sickle. Francis said he wasn't offended.

The conference drew experts on the economy and social justice at the end of the Cold War, but not the Pontiff

The conference drew experts on the economy and social justice at the end of the Cold War, but not the Pontiff

Sanders said that the global economy is 'operated for the top 1 percent, who get richer and richer as the working class, the young and the poor fall further and further behind'

Sanders rushed to Rome immediately after Thursday's Democratic presidential debate in Brooklyn, New York, giving up a day of campaigning to attend the conference with Latin American leaders.

Vatican conference that young people today are no longer satisfied with an economy 'of stark inequality and injustice' and want instead an economy that looks out for the common good.

Sanders said today's youth — in the United States and elsewhere — are looking for a 'return to fairness' and an economy that ensures everyone has access to health care, nutrition and education.

He said: 'Our youth are no longer satisfied with corrupt and broken politics and an economy of stark inequality and injustice.'

The Vatican conference was commemorating the 25th anniversary of St. John Paul II's 1991 encyclical 'Centesimus Annus' on the economy and social justice at the end of the Cold War.

Sanders issued a global call to end the 'immoral and unsustainable' wealth inequality and poverty in the Vatican address that embraced the teachings of Pope Francis.

Sanders cited Francis and St. John Paul II repeatedly during his speech Friday.

Sanders greeted Morales with a hearty handshake at the Vatican

American expatriates gathered to see Sanders' motorcade as he skipped a day of his New York primary campaign for a discussions about social justice

Sanders departed New York for Rome after Thursday night's debate with front-running rival Hillary Clinton

He told the audience of priests, bishops, academics and two South American presidents that instead of a world economy that looks out for the common good, 'we have been left with an economy operated for the top 1 percent, who get richer and richer as the working class, the young and the poor fall further and further behind.'

Echoing some of his main campaign messages, Sanders said 'billionaires and banks have reaped the returns of their campaign investments, in the form of special tax privileges, imbalanced trade agreements that favor investors over workers, and that even give multinational companies extra-judicial power over governments that are trying to regulate them.'

The Vermont senator is making the trip even while he faces a crucial New York primary against rival Hillary Clinton next week.

The self-described democratic socialist is an admirer of Pope Francis and joined several speakers in commemorating the high-level teaching document by Pope John Paul II.

The roughly 24-hour break from the campaign comes just five days before the New York primary.

Sanders was joined by his wife, Jane Sanders, and 10 family members, including four grandchildren on the trip. He arrived by private charter.

The Vatican conference drawing Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders away from the campaign for New York delegates is steeped in his lifelong passions of economic and social justice and reflects his admiration for Pope Francis.

Sanders departed New York for Rome after Thursday night's debate with front-running rival Hillary Clinton. The self-described democratic socialist will join several speakers commemorating a high-level teaching document by Pope John Paul II on the economy and social justice at the end of the Cold War.

The Vermont senator is joined by his wife, Jane, and 10 family members, including four grandchildren. His spokesman said Sanders was still working on a draft of his speech on the plane.