Before proceeding to determine the meaning of the term clemency, it is necessary to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can establish that it is a word that derives from Latin. It exactly comes from “clementia”, which can be translated as “mercy.”
The notion of clemency alludes to pity or mercy. The term is linked to moderation when applying justice.
For example: “The defendant burst into tears when he asked the court for clemency”, “It is useless if you claim clemency: your die is already cast”, “The terrorists had no mercy with their hostages. “
He who has mercy feels compassion for the other: he can feel empathy and experience the suffering of others. So being forgiving means forgiving someone or assisting them in a difficult situation. Clemency, beyond feeling, is put into practice, otherwise it does not exist.
It is common for this concept to appear when a judge, a court or another type of authority is about to order or execute a punishment. The individual about to be punished can ask for mercy so that the penalty is not so harsh. Suppose a man is first sentenced to the death penalty. Upon being notified of this sentence, he begs for clemency and succeeds in having the death penalty replaced by life imprisonment.
Clemency can also appear in sport if a competitor or a team decides not to take advantage of the weaknesses of their rival to make wide differences in the result. A football team that, at the end of the first half, beats its opponent 4-0 can be merciful and reduce the intensity in the second half. It is important to keep in mind that this type of clemency can be considered as a lack of respect for the rival, since it is no longer considered an opponent capable of competing as equals.
In the same way, we cannot ignore the fact that the term in question is also used on a religious and Easter level. Thus, for example, in the Cadiz city of Jerez de la Frontera there is the Hermandad de la Clemencia, which is a religious entity that processes the Santísimo Cristo de la Clemencia every year.
Specifically, the processional exit of that brotherhood, which always takes place on Holy Tuesday and lasts about 9 hours, is made up of two steps. And it is that the one of the Christ is also added that of the Holy Mary of Health and Hope.
Within the scope of literature, we cannot ignore the existence of several books that use the term in question in their titles. This would be the case, for example, of “Clemencia”. It is a novel from 1990 written by Ignacio Manuel Altamirano.
In the middle of the war scene, he comes to tell the story of two women, Clemencia and Isabel, who are very different from each other, but who share their love for Enrique. She will be the first to be able to marry him, but fate has so many vicissitudes in store for them that perhaps their paths will take new directions.
