Devil’s Advocate

Devil's advocate

The advocatus diaboli is the common name for the official position within the Catholic Church of the Promoter of the Faith. It is defined as one who "argued against the canonization (sainthood) of a candidate to uncover any character flaws or misrepresentation of the evidence favoring canonization". It was reformed in 1984.

Advocate

An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries and legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, in Indo-Pak, other European and South American jurisdictions, "advocate" refers to a lawyer or magistrate representing in courts.

Devil

The devil is a mythical personification of evil as conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of the Devil can be summed up as 1. a principle of evil independent from God, 2. an aspect of God, 3. a created being turning evil or 4. a symbol of human evil.

devil’s advocate

Noun

1. One who debates from a viewpoint which one may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity or simply for the sake of argument.
2. A canon lawyer appointed by the Church to argue against the canonization of the proposed candidate.

Verb

1. To play devil's advocate.