Benedict is known for his vocal opposition to LGBT rights and same-sex marriage. Guzzanti was appearing at an anti-politics rally in Rome last July.

It is a criminal offense in Italy to “offend the honor” of the Pope or the Italian president, under a Fascist-era law.

The Rome city prosecutor, Giovanni Ferrara, asked Federal Justice Minister Angelino Alfano for permission to start criminal proceedings against Guzzanti. Ferrara said that Guzzanti’s comments went beyond satire.

If convicted, Guzzanti could have been imprisoned for up to five years.

“I decided not to authorize it, knowing well the stature and capacity of the Pope for forgiveness,” Justice Minister Angelino Alfano said Friday.

The Vatican appears to agree with Alfano. “The Justice Minister’s decision was wise,” Vatican spokesperson Father Federico Lombardi told Ansa news agency.

“The Pope’s authority is far too superior to be dented [by the comments] and, in his magnanimity, he considers the case closed.”

Guzzanti is no stranger to controversy. She recently caused a storm by suggesting that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s equal opportunities minister Mara Carfagna – who had previously worked as a topless model – got her job in exchange for performing oral sex on the Italian Premier.