A religious slander case brought against Italian comic Sabina Guzzanti for suggesting Pope Benedict XVI would ''go to hell'' will not go ahead, Rome public prosecutor's office said Thursday.
The prosecutor's office had no choice but to archive the case after Italian Justice Minister Angelino Alfano on Thursday decided not to proceed with the charges.
''Despite the fact that it would be possible to proceed with the case, I have decided not to give the authorisation in full knowledge of the frequency and capacity of the Pope's pardon,'' Alfano said.
The minister added that his decision was swayed by the fact that Guzzant - who is the daughter of Paolo Guzzanti, a Senator in Premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party - ''took responsibility for what she said''.
''The current season of reform requires us to put out fires, not start new blazes,'' he added.
Guzzanti's personal attack on the pontiff took place as she performed at a political rally organised by the opposition Italy of Values (IDV) party in Rome in July.
The comic shocked many by saying of Benedict that ''in 20 years he'll be dead and he'll go to hell to be tormented by two queer devils - not passive ones, but very active ones''.
Guzzanti said she was ''honoured'' when the case was first brought against her.
The IDV originally called the rally, at which crusading comic Beppe Grillo also performed, to protest against government justice bills that it claimed had been tailor-made to help the premier.
Guzzanti and Grillo were also criticised for attacking Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and Equal Opportunities Minister Mara Carfagna during the rally, which was attended by tens of thousands of people.
