Pope John Paul has made a personal plea to the United States to sparea death row inamate just days away from a lethal injection who says he has new DNA evidence that proves his innocence.

The Vatican said on Friday that the leade of the world's Roman Catholics had asked his Nuncio (ambasador) in Washington to try to save the life of Joseph O'Dellm, 55, who is scheduled to be executed in Virginia on December 18.

The italian government said it had also taken up O'Dell's case with the U.S. embassy in Rome and hoped he eould obtain a reprieve so the evidence could be reviewed.

O'Dell was convicted in 1985 of murdering 44 years old secretary Helen Schartner and sentenced to death.

Death penalty opponents worldwide have rallied round his case, pleading for a review of the DNA evidence wich they say shows the blood found on his shirt does not match the victim's.

"The Holy Father, John Paul II, has sent a personal message to the Apostoic Nuncio in the United States asking him to intercede in his name to obtain clemency for the condemned man".

O'Dell has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay his execution pending a review of the DNA evidence, which is supporters say a court of appeals to admit because a submission deadline had expired.

Virginia Governor George Allen also held a clemency hearing on Thursday but lawyers said he would not announce a decision until the Court had concluded all proceedings in the case.

The Supreme Court tends to avoid hearing death penalty appeals and Allen has granted clemency only once.

In an encyclical last year, the Pope brought the Catholic Church the closest it has come to calling for a total ban on capital punishment, allowid by 38 US States in murder cases.

The Pope achnowledged traditional Church teaching that allows capital punishment in extremly rare cases, but said such cases were practically non-existent in modern society.

The O'Dell case has stirred concern at the Vatican not least because of what one of its top moral theologians, Gino Concetti, said this week was the "legaistic" approach taken by judges in ruling out the new evidence when a man's life was at stake.

Italy has no death penalty in civilian criminal cases and is among the most vociferous supportes of calls for the worldwide abolition of capital punishment.

About 50 protesters demonstrated on Thursday outside the US Embassy in Rome and O'Dell's fate was being debated on Friday in the Senat (upper house), where overwhelming support was expected to be expressed for a resolution urging clumency.

Deputy Foreign Minister Patricia Toia said in the debate that rhe ministry had informed the Us Embassy of the concern in Italy for O'Dell's fate. Toia said the DNA evidence "would apper to prove beyond the shadow of douubt" that O'Dell was not a killer.

Public opinion in the United States, and expecilly in Virginia, has not shown particular interest and concern over this affair." Toia said, nothing that most Virginia supported the death penalty.