What is meant by a metanoia?

The answer

In our discourse on worship according to the rites of the Church,³¹⁵ we distinguished between three forms of prostration: bowing the head; kneeling; and kneeling and bowing until the forehead touches the ground. This third form is called a metanoia, and is extremely important in personal worship and spiritual discipline.

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Notes

³¹⁵ See sections 889–890 above.

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, Catechism of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Volumes 1 and 2, Books 1–7. First English Edition, 2023. Published by St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Sporting, Alexandria, and Queen St. Mary & Prince Tadros Coptic Orthodox Church, South Brunswick, NJ. Copyright © 2023. Translation and Editing: Youth of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Arabian Gulf, and Egypt.