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. Exactly it comes from “clementia”, which can be translated as “mercy”.
The notion of clemency refers to mercy or mercy . The term is linked to moderation when applying justice .
For example: “The accused burst into tears when asking the court for clemency” , “There is no point in asking for clemency: your fate has already been cast” , “The terrorists did not show mercy to their hostages” .
Whoever has mercy has compassion for the other: he can feel empathy and experience the suffering of others. That is why being merciful means forgiving someone or providing assistance 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, court or other type of authority is preparing to decree or execute a punishment. The individual about to be punished can ask for mercy so that the punishment is not so harsh. Suppose a man is sentenced in the first instance to the death penalty . Upon being notified of this sentence, he begs for clemency and obtains that the capital punishment be replaced by reclusion perpetua.
Leniency can also appear in sport if a competitor or a team decides not to take advantage of its rival's weaknesses to make large differences in the result. A soccer team that, at the end of the first half, defeats its opponent 4-0 can show mercy and reduce the intensity in the second half. It is important to keep in mind that this type of leniency can be considered a lack of respect for the rival, since the opponent 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 at a religious and Holy Week level. Thus, for example, in the Cádiz city of Jerez de la Frontera there is the Brotherhood of Clemency, which is a religious entity that processions the Holy Christ of Clemency 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 the fact is that that of the Most Holy Mary of Health and Hope is also added to that of Christ.
Within the field 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”. This is a novel from 1990 written by Ignacio Manuel Altamirano.
In the midst of a war scenario, she comes to tell the story of two women, Clemencia and Isabel, who are very different from each other, but who have their love for Enrique in common. She will be the first to marry him, but destiny has so many adventures in store for them that perhaps their paths will take new directions.