The head of the Senate Nicola Mancini declared before...

The head of the Senate Nicola Mancini declared before Pope John Paul II and the 'world parliament' assembly on occasion of the Jubilee of politicians that "the death penalty, which many States still provide for, dissappear from criminal law". Senator Athos De Luca, member of the Senatorial Committee for a moratorium on capital punishment daclared that "on important human rights issues such as the death penalty it is appropriate that parliamentarians that participate at the Jubilee express themselves". Senator Giulio Andreotti, in the role of receptionist for the Committee, justified his decision to excludee the issue of the death penalty from the motions that would be approved by the 3000 members of Parliament and Senators from the 92 countries reunited at the Vatican for the occasion of the Jubilee, stating that the death penalty "is the motive for lots of controversy". The vice-president of the PPE (Popular European Party), Guido Podesta, was the first to break the 'tabù' whenin the assembly hall he proclaimed "no" towards societies uncivilised use of the death penalty.