A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, often accompanied by excommunication; denunciation of anything as accursed
\uh-NATH-uh-muh\, noun: 1 A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, and accompanied by excommunication Hence: Denunciation of anything as accursed 2 An imprecation; a curse; a malediction 3 Any person or thing anathematized, or cursed by ecclesiastical authority 4 Any person or thing that is intensely disliked
term used by St Paul to exclude an unworthy member from the community (Cf Gal 1: 9; 1 Cor 16: 22 ) Later, it was used as the Church's solemn condemnation of an erroneous, heretical position that contradicts Catholic truth
adj and n Consecrated and holy The term originally denoted a special offering hanging in a temple, and has come to mean a degree of holiness which borders on superlative
A condemnation Although not in popular use today, the Church would condemn via Canons specific false beliefs as promoted by heretics Vatican II departed from the traditional method of Canons by using a prose style for its documents One example from the fifth session of the Council of Trent is "5 If anyone denies that by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ which is conferred in baptism, the guilt of original sin is remitted, or says that the whole of that which belongs to the essence of sin is not taken away, but says that it is only canceled or not imputed, let him be anathema "
(Gr : a curse, suspension) The spiritual suspension with which the church may expel a person from her community for various reasons, especially denial of the faith or other mortal sins The church also may proclaim an anathema against the enemies of the faith, such as heretics and traitors, in a special service conducted on the Sunday of Orthodoxy (first Sunday of Lent)
The threat of eternal damnation pronounced against those who would disobey the orders expressed in papal or conciliar orders As in "anathema sit" -- literally, "let him be damned "
If something is anathema to you, you strongly dislike it. Violence was anathema to them. something that is completely the opposite of what you believe in anathema to (, from anatithenai )
A ban or curse pronounced with religious solemnity by ecclesiastical authority, and accompanied by excommunication. Hence: Denunciation of anything as accursed