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• a  showing or giving mercy
  sought merciful treatment for the captives
  a merciful god
• s  (used conventionally of royalty and high nobility) gracious
  our merciful king

• There was as yet no evidence that Ford's motives were other than high-minded and merciful.
• A bill to allow terminally ill patients to choose a "merciful death" was recently introduced to the legislature, and there is growing momentum behind calls for a civil-union law .
• We allow for the removal of feeding tubes, the withdrawal of respirators, the replacement of aggressive treatment with palliative care; these can all be wise and merciful choices.

• merciless

News & Articles

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• Pope tells nuncios to help him find new bishops who are meek, merciful
  VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Tracing the characteristics he wants to see in candidates to serve as bishops, Pope Francis said they must be "pastors who are close to their people, fathers and brothers, who are meek, patient and merciful."
  June 21, 2013 - Catholic News Service
• Domingo Elizardo Hernandez
  Our loving, merciful Jesus the Christ welcomed his faithful servant Domingo Elizardo Hernandez, 78, to his celestial home on Friday, January 18, 2013, at 11:25 PM. He was surrounded by his daughters just as he had always faithfully surrounded them in person or in fervent, faithful prayer.
  June 19, 2013 - Borger News-Herald
• The Bruins Are Looking Impenetrable Again
  After a 2-0 win—a merciful regulation win—Boston finds itself halfway to a Stanley Cup, so it's not too early to start thinking Conn Smythe. That talk begins and ends with the man in net, but that's only because MVP can't be a team award. Backed by second period goals from Daniel Paille and Patrice Bergeron (off a laser-guided pass from Jaromir Jagr), Tuukka Rask stopped all 28 shots he faced ...
  June 18, 2013 - Deadspin

Quotes

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• Marion Jones in CNN International
  I ask you to be as merciful as a human being can be,said Jones, who cried on her husband's shoulder after she was sentenced.
• Hassan Nasrallah in The Canadian Press
  The group's leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, said Sunday Hezbollah had lost "a merciful father, a wise leader and ...... a strong backer."
• Saddam Hussein in CNN
  Dear faithful people,Hussein added, "I say goodbye to you, but I will be with the merciful God who helps those who take refuge in him and who will never disappoint any honest believer."