Udział adwokatów w procesie kanonizacyjnym. Studium historycznoprawne

Since the 13th century, one of the participants of canonization processes has been advocatus fiscalis or, since the 15th century, promotor fiscalis, commonly referred to as a promoter of the faith. Beginning with the pontificate of Urban VIII (1623-1644), this function has been partaking in every case. On 11 January 1631, in the brief Nomina del Promoteore della Fede, the pope appointed the consistorial advocate to the office of Promoter of the Faith; he, at the same time, serves as fiscal advocate and the advocate of the Apostolic Chamber. One of the roles of the Promoter of the Faith was to report any problematic issues in the case; hence, in the 1917 Code of Canon Law of 1917 he was unjustly called advocatus diaboli; nevertheless, he always strived for the truth. The Promoter of the Faith was appointed from among the consistorial advocates, auditors of the Roman Rota or the Apostolic Chamber. The responsibility of consistorial advocates was to submit requests for beatification or canonization. The evolution of their roles and the establishment of a new institution, the College of Twelve Advocates for the Causes of Saints, are addressed in the second part of the article. The third part focuses on the participation of the advocate in canonization cases under the 1917 Code of Canon Law; the fourth part outlines the current legal status: advocate’s responsibility (to discover the truth) as shared with a number of entities engaged in the process of beatification.