Recantation
Encyclopedia
The verb recant , and its derivative noun recantation, can mean:
- To formally abandon a belief or a particular statement of belief, generally under order from an ecclesiastical authority (often a synodSynodA synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
or ecumenical councilEcumenical councilAn ecumenical council is a conference of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice....
, or, in the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, the InquisitionInquisitionThe Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
, Holy Office, or even on rare occasion the contemporary Congregation for the Doctrine of the FaithCongregation for the Doctrine of the FaithThe Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
) to enforce an orthodoxyOrthodoxyThe word orthodox, from Greek orthos + doxa , is generally used to mean the adherence to accepted norms, more specifically to creeds, especially in religion...
. If ordered to recant by such an ecclesiastical authority, one who refused to recant is anathematized or excommunicated. Sometimes the order included threats of physical punishment (e.g., the proverbial burning at the stake, as happened in the trial of St. Jeanne d'Arc). - In classical Roman poetryPoetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, after describing something hyperbolicHyperbolicHyperbolic refers to something related to or in shape of hyperbola , or to something employing the literary device of hyperbole .The following topics are based on the hyperbola etymology:...
ally, to briefly re-describe it without the exaggeration. (This is the original meaning.) - Or see revocationRevocationRevocation is the act of recall or annulment. It is the reversal of an act, the recalling of a grant, or the making void of some deed previously existing.-Contract law:...
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