Why did Mehmet Ali Ağca go to court/prison after Pope John Paul II forgave him?
While the Vatican has sovereignty over its territory, in accordance with Article 22 of the 1929 Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy, the Italian government, when requested by the Holy See, handles the prosecution and detention of criminal suspects, at the expense of the Vatican. . Being forgiven and being pardoned are two very different things. From the American Psychological Association “Forgiveness is the mental and/or spiritual process of ceasing to feel resentment, indignation or anger against another person for a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution”. A pardon is a legal act. Setting aside the fact that US laws are different from Italian or Vatican laws, if the President forgives someone, it has no legal force until he signs a legal pardon. Actually, a pardon is generally given after guilt has been determined. . In the case of Ağca, the Pope indeed forgave him as a person matter, but he did not pardon him. In addition t
