History glossary
interdict
a church sanction that suspended public worship or sacraments in a region.
- Category
- Religious sanction
- Region
- Global
- Date range
- Varies
What it means
An interdict was a powerful church sanction that could suspend public worship or access to sacraments across a kingdom or region. Popes used it to pressure rulers by placing spiritual pressure on their subjects.
Stories using this term
The Rise of the Medieval Church
From the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the Avignon papacy, this story traces how the Christian Church built its authority through bishops, monasteries, missions, reform, and direct confrontation with Europe's rulers.
Feudalism and Medieval Society
From the estates of Charlemagne's empire to the flowering of Gothic cathedrals, this story explores how feudal hierarchies, manorial agriculture, and Church authority shaped the lives of kings, knights, and peasants alike.
