WASHINGTON, FEB 21 (ZENIT).- John Paul II has appealed to George W. Bush, governor of Texas and a candidate for the Republican nomination in the presidential elections, to exercise clemency toward Odell Barnes, condemned to death for killing his girlfriend in 1991.

    In a note sent to Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, Apostolic Nuncio in the United States, the Holy Father requests that the death sentence be commuted. Barnes has consistently denied he committed the crime he was convicted of. In fact, some organizations that are opposed to the death penalty say they have proof of his innocence. Barnes is slated for execution within the next two weeks in the Huntsville Correctional Facility. ZE00022108