Italian official dedicates law cutting prison time to late pope

Published: 2006-07-31

ROME (CNS) -- Italy's justice minister dedicated to Pope John Paul II a measure passed by Italian lawmakers granting sentence reductions to thousands of prisoners. The law, granting up to three years off prison sentences, easily surpassed the two-thirds majority needed in the Italian Senate July 29 after having passed the House of Deputies July 27. Pope John Paul had appealed for amnesty and clemency measures for prisoners around the world as part of the Holy Year 2000 celebrations, and in 2002 he specifically asked Italian lawmakers to adopt sentence reductions to ease overcrowding in Italian prisons. During the debate dozens of lawmakers recalled the appeals of Pope John Paul. Clemente Mastella, the justice minister, dedicated the final victory to the late pope.

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