Folia Theologica et Canonica 10. 32/24 (2021)
Ius canonicum
154 SZABOLCS ANZELM SZUROMI, O.PRAEM. ren, but under the anathema, which separates from the body of Christ, which is the Church”.25 Conclusion It can be clearly seen that a term of ancient origin - with a double meaning - which was found in both Hellenistic and Roman culture, was introduced into the Old Testament with two different words expressing the two original meanings. The elimination of this dichotomy, thanks to St. Paul, took place in the New Testament, which defined the early Christian ecclesiastical discipline of the first six centuries. The so-called pseudo-apostolic collections used only requirements, forms of performance and prohibitions linked to incorrect or prohibited acts (e.g., Traditio Apostolica [215]). However, the Collectio Dionysiana (end of the 5th - beginning of the 6th century) having listed the most important councils, separated from the papal decrees, naturally contained the anathemas, attached to the end of the indicated conciliar canons as sanctions. The specified content of ‘anathema’ and its distinction from ‘excommunication ’ had been defined in the second half of the 9th century, and its consistent use by the Decretum Gratiani has made clear the meaning of the two terms within the discipline of the Church. Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem. Pázmány Péter Catholic University szúrom i. szabolcs@ppke. hu Abstract Analysing the meaning of ‘anathema ’ based on the Old and New Testaments, we must underline that those Hebrew words which used for similar purposes do not have exactly the same content as the Greek term. This difference in terms of content can be observed not only in the use of several expressions (i.e. the dichotomy of the meaning of ‘anathema ’), but also in the possibility of narrowing its meaning in the New Testament and offurther specification of the term in the early Church ’s use, both in theological and ecclesiastical aspects. The specified content of ‘anathema ’and its distinction from ‘excommunication ’ had been defined in the second half of the 9th century. This gradual process of clarification gives the ecclesiastical meaning of ‘anathema ’by the middle of the 12,h century (i.e. Decretum Gratiani) and its final precision in the 13lh century. 25 Cf. C. 3 q. 4 c. 12: Hengiltrudam uxorem Bosonis noueris non solum excommunicatione, que a fraterna societate separat, sed etiam anathemate, quod ab ipso corpore Christi (quod est ecclesia) recidit, crebro percussam. Friedberg 1. 514.
