To deny or withdraw a vocation or calling from someone; to remove someone's status as a priest or clergy member.
From Late Latin devocare, from de- (away) + vocare (to call), related to 'vocation.' This legal and religious term appeared in English in the 16th century.
Devocation in the Catholic Church was a serious affair—it meant stripping someone of their sacred calling entirely, which was considered a form of spiritual death.
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