During the Roman Catholic proceedings leading to the assignment of sainthood, a specific individual is given the job of investigating the candidate and the validity of any associated miracles.
He then argues vehemently against the canonization by denigrating the potential saint on behalf of the devil.
His official Vatican title is the “Devil’s Advocate.”
The expression is used for someone who challenges what appears to be an obvious truth.
Related Posts
-
What Causes Dust Devils, How Are Dust Devils Formed, and Do Big Cities Ever Get Hit By Tornadoes?
Meteorologists joke about building trailer parks to attract tornadoes, and there is more than a grain of truth in the jest, because trailer parks tend to occupy the kind of terrain that allows…
-
How Did the New Jersey Devils Get Their Name and Where Did the Hockey Team Come From?
The New Jersey Devils began their NHL life as the Kansas City Scouts. Their tenure there lasted only till 1978, when the NHL approved the team's move to Denver as the Colorado Rockies.…
-
How did the Expression “Red Herring” Originate, What does it Mean, and Where does it Come From?
A red herring is not a specific type of fish, but refers to any herring that's been smoked. The meat turns red and gives off a pungent odor, sending any but the truest…
-
What does the expression “the $64 question” mean and Where does it originate?
Back in 1940, in April to be exact, a new radio "quiz" program was started under the name "Take It or Leave It," with Bob Hawk as its master of ceremony. Hawk was…
-
What does the expression “to keep one’s eyes peeled” (or skinned) mean and Where does it originate?
The expression "to keep one's eyes peeled" means to be very observant or extremely alert; to keep a sharp lookout. No record of this American expression has been turned up earlier than 1833,…
-
What does the expression “hair and hide” (horns and tallow) mean and Where does it originate?
The expression "hair and hide" means: The whole works; every part; the entirety. The first part, hair and hide, has long been used in the same sense. In fact, five hundred years ago,…
