What does “interdict” mean in medieval Church power?

The story behind the answer

An interdict was a sweeping ecclesiastical censure that suspended public worship and most sacraments across a locality. By cutting off Mass, marriages, and church burials (often allowing only baptism and last rites), the Church could exert enormous pressure on secular rulers through the suffering and anxiety of their people. Unlike excommunication, which targeted individuals, an interdict blanketed cities or kingdoms, turning the population into leverage.

Popes and bishops used this tool frequently in the High Middle Ages; famously, Pope Innocent III placed England under interdict from 1208 to 1213 during his clash with King John. The eerie silence of shuttered churches and unblessed graves vividly demonstrated the Church’s power to shape medieval politics and daily life.