Except he wasn't given a pass, he worked to earn everyone's trust back with or without the garbage story's retcon. Initially he couldn't even believe that Parallax was an outside force, the character wasn't somehow handed an unearned redemption arc, when even before Rebirth he sacrificed himself and became the Spectre. For years people didn't trust him and he had to earn it all back, he was held accountable for his time as Parallax which is more than we can say for some other characters. Even in Dark Crisis you've had some characters still call him out on it all these years later.
Though if you wish to boil it all down to "my fave gets a pass" just to fit your personal narrative more power to you I guess.