Why saints are few and far between

For many, life is a constant struggle between God and the Devil, the polar opposites lobbing people like grenades, launching the shrapnel of good or evil, respectively, into the moral fiber of those caught in the blast.

The language of theology, because of its pertinence to humanity, produces many idioms used on an everyday basis. A phrase rising in popularity (due in no small part to the Reeves-Pacino movie) is "the devil's advocate."

In common usage, a devil's advocate makes a case for an unpopular or opposing viewpoint either to subject it to analysis, or merely for the sake of argument. To play the devil's advocate may brighten a colorless conversation. It can also annoy pigheaded individuals with satisfying efficiency.

The expression's origin stems, of all places, from the Roman Catholic Church. Called God's Advocate (Advocatus Dei in Latin) until 1983, the Devil's Advocate (Advocatus Diaboli) presents the argument against a potential saint's candidacy for beatification (declaration of a dead person as blessed and thereby entitled to special religious honor) or canonization (placement in the canon of recognized saints). The office's formal title is Promoter of the Faith (Promotor Fidei).*

So why would the Church give Catholicism's champion and a spokesperson for God such a dishonorable title? The officeholder's argument against an aspiring saint includes all of the unflattering tidbits about his or her past.*

Pope Sixtus V: "Well, we can't have any Antonio off the street playing saint, now can we?"

While seemingly introduced by Pope Leo X in the early 15th century, Pope Sixtus V formally created the office in 1587. Pope John Paul II's 1979 revision of canonization procedures abolished the office,** in my opinion a bad move. Why do away with an avenue for valuable, logical discussion?

I think devilish advocacy is a wonderful idea - it helps avoid complacency and overconfidence, and challenges people to question the commonly accepted. If you're strong enough in your beliefs, whether they be religious, political or even methodological ("you've got your way, I've got mine"), they will bear the strain of scrutiny.

Finally, I'd like to give some mad props to the Devil. In phraseology, the Devil is a rock star. He's the subject of such common expressions as "give the Devil his due," "speak of the Devil," "between the Devil and the deep blue sea," "devil-may-care" and, my personal favorite, "the Devil can cite scripture for his purpose" (The Merchant of Venice, Act I, Scene 3).

I don't imagine the Devil gets thanked often. Maybe you should try it. He might leave you be, for the time being.


Information purloined from http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Article675.html, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/160216/devils-advocate and http://www.william-shakespeare.info/quotes-quotations-play-merchant-of-venice.htm




* - The Papal Enquirer has him on speed-dial
** - I would do it if I were Pope. Saint Mead has a nice ring to it.***
*** - Could I be the patron saint of alcoholic beverages?