There are some jobs children grow up desiring: astronaut, scientist, president. Seldom, if ever, did the position of Promoter of the Faith make the list. Promoter of the Faith, more commonly known as "dvocatus diaboli" (Devil's Advocate), was an ecclesiastical advocate appointed to oppose the canonization of a person, making sure that the person truly deserved sainthood. Pope Sixtus V created the position in 1587. Four hundred years later, in 1983, Pope John Paul II terminated the Devil's Advocate. The move opened the sainthood floodgates. During his reign from 1978-2005, Pope John Paul II canonized 500 saints. By comparison, Sixtus V only canonized one person (St. Didacus) and, prior to John Paul II, only 98 persons had been saint-ified. The fast-track for sainthood may help John Paul II in the current round of canonization.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Pope JP II Benifits from Firing Devil's Advocate
There are some jobs children grow up desiring: astronaut, scientist, president. Seldom, if ever, did the position of Promoter of the Faith make the list. Promoter of the Faith, more commonly known as "dvocatus diaboli" (Devil's Advocate), was an ecclesiastical advocate appointed to oppose the canonization of a person, making sure that the person truly deserved sainthood. Pope Sixtus V created the position in 1587. Four hundred years later, in 1983, Pope John Paul II terminated the Devil's Advocate. The move opened the sainthood floodgates. During his reign from 1978-2005, Pope John Paul II canonized 500 saints. By comparison, Sixtus V only canonized one person (St. Didacus) and, prior to John Paul II, only 98 persons had been saint-ified. The fast-track for sainthood may help John Paul II in the current round of canonization.
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There is an alternative to assuming the role of the Devil's Advocate, it is playing the Possibility Advocate.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your posting, it may help to bolster my case to speak at TEDxSantaCruz on June 11th, 2011.
Possibility Advocate Virgil