PROMOTER OF THE FAITH. — The Promoter of the Faith (quaesitor de honoribus caelestium) is the priest whose office it is to safeguard the rights of the faith and observance of ecclesiastical laws in the process of beatification and canonization of the servants of God, so that the honors of the altars may be granted to no unworthy person. He must therefore be cited in every part of the process, under pain of nullity of the acts (can. 2010). The Promoter of the Faith at the S. Congr. of Rites is called the Promoter General of the Faith and is assisted by the Subpromoter General of the Faith; both are appointed by the Supreme Pontiff (cann. 2010 § 2, 2011 § 1).
The Promoter of the Faith is commonly called the devil’s advocate: the appellation perhaps originated in popular piety, which sees in the difficulties raised by the Promoter of the Faith almost an outburst of envy on the part of the devil; or from the fact that the Promoter of the Faith carries out his work in opposition to that veneration which, in the popular conception, the servants of God would already deserve on account of their holiness, even before the Church has beatified them. Apart from popular usage, however, it must be affirmed that nothing contributes more to the full proof of holiness than the severe criticism of the Promoter of the Faith, who, precisely by the rigor of his investigation, compels the defense (the advocate) to provide the most thorough answers; these, ultimately, are what necessitate the recognition of holiness, while preventing the halo of sanctity from being granted to persons who do not shine with the foremost radiance in the heaven of holiness.
So that this most important work may be faithfully carried out by the Promoter of the Faith, he takes a special oath, to which is added an oath not to accept gifts of any kind (can. 2037 §§ 1 and 5).
The work of the Promoter of the Faith is protected by three general guarantees: 1) absolute secrecy, which must safeguard his activity both from outsiders and from the interested parties; 2) complete independence from any external influence; 3) the broadest freedom of investigation, including extrajudicial inquiries.
I. HISTORICAL NOTES
According to Benedict XIV, up to the fourteenth century there is no information concerning the office of p. della f.; in his view, the first mention of it occurred under Leo X, in the canonization proceedings of Bl. Lorenzo Giustiniani (Benedict XIV, De beat. et canoniz. sanctorum, Bologna 1734, book I, chap. 18, nos. 7–8).In its early period this office was always combined with that of the advocate of the treasury, since the latter had the same duty of upholding and defending the rights of the Church (v. PROMOTORE DI GIUSTIZIA). The office of p. della f. was subsequently separated from that of the advocate of the treasury. In 1708 Clement XI appointed the lawyer Lambertini as coadjutor, with right of future succession, to Msgr. Prospero Bettini, archbishop of Mira, advocate of the treasury and p. della f., in the office of p. della f., and Msgr. Bettini, Prospero’s nephew, to the office of fiscal advocate: thus one office was separated from the other. For 20 years Lambertini admirably exercised the office of p. della f. Having become pope, and wishing to give the distinguished college of consistorial advocates (v.), to which he had belonged, a perpetual sign of benevolence and esteem, in the constitution Inter conspicuos of 29 August 1744 (Bull. Ben. XIV, vol. I, Prato 1845, p. 407), while approving and enlarging its prerogatives, he expressly declared the office of p. della f., which forms part of that college, incompatible with that of fiscal advocate. Since at that time the two offices were united, by a special provision of Clement XII, in Msgr. Luigi Valenti, he ordered that this favor should not be extended to anyone else, thereby confirming what Clement XI had established concerning this separation.
II. RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE PROMOTER OF THE FAITH
A clear distinction must be maintained between the promoters of the faith in diocesan tribunals and the general promoter of the faith at the Sacred Congregation of Rites. Moreover, in diocesan tribunals a distinction must be made between the promoters for apostolic processes, who are appointed by the general promoter of the faith (sub-promoters of the faith), and the promoters of the faith for ordinary processes (simply called promoters), who are appointed by the Ordinary of the place (cann. 2010–11).The promoter of the faith is responsible for attaining objective truth in the process. His task is to compile concise, purely historical interrogatories suited to discovering the truth, formulating appropriate questions also concerning the articles of the postulator (v.), whose adversary he is by virtue of his office. He must deliver these interrogatories to the judges sealed and under the obligation of secrecy (can. 2012 § 1). It is likewise the responsibility of the promoter of the faith to have witnesses summoned ex officio and to make the necessary objections, including against witnesses indicated by the postulator. The judges, however, may also have witnesses summoned ex officio, even against the wishes of the promoter of the faith, provided that he is informed (can. 2012 § 2; cf. also cann. 2024, 2059, 2070, 2072, 2078, 2079, 2086 § 2, 2090, 2100, 2110 § 2). The intervention of the promoter of the faith is also required in the search for the writings of the servant of God (can. 2046 and V. PERQUISIZIONE, II. P. degli scritti), in the instruction of the informative process concerning the reputation for holiness in general or martyrdom, in the examination of miracles (cann. 2051, 2055), and in the process concerning non-cult (can. 2059).
III. — RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE GENERAL PROMOTER OF THE FAITH. — At the S. Congr. of Rites the general Promoter of the Faith enters upon his duties. It is his responsibility to give his opinion to the cardinal ponens regarding the selection of the revisers of the writings of the servant of God, whose names must remain secret (can. 2066 § 1). Against them the general Promoter of the Faith must formulate, if there are any, the objections to be discussed by the cardinals of the S. Congr. (can. 2070). From the writings, however, which have obtained the favorable judgment of the pontiff, the general Promoter of the Faith may and must also draw objections during the discussion of the virtues (can. 2072). Once the review of the writings has been successfully completed, the general Promoter of the Faith draws up, in accordance with cann. 2078, 2079, and 2080, his observations (obiectione) against the introduction of the cause. If, once the cause has been officially introduced before the S. Congr. of Rites, it is necessary to proceed with the instruction of the process of non-cult because this had not previously been carried out, then the general Promoter of the Faith draws up the interrogatories to be addressed to the witnesses to be examined in such a process (can. 2086 § 2). When the apostolic process must then be instructed either concerning the fame of sanctity in specie or concerning martyrdom and its cause, the general Promoter of the Faith sends (can. 2089) special letters to the Curia at which the said process will take place, designating two sub-promoters to be present at the process in his name. The interrogatories to be addressed to the witnesses to be examined in this process are drawn up by the general Promoter of the Faith, taking into consideration the objections discussed at the introduction of the cause, the testimony given in the informative process, and any extrajudicial information (can. 2009).
Once this apostolic process has reached the S. Congr. of Rites, the general Promoter of the Faith compiles the observations (animadversiones) against its validity (can. 2009, n. 2). In the meetings (congregations), moreover, at which the heroic character of the virtues in specie or the martyrdom and its cause are discussed, the votes of all the prelates and consultors who take part in them must be delivered to the general Promoter of the Faith (can. 2103 § 3). For each of these three congregations, the general Promoter of the Faith draws up his animadversiones (cann. 2106, n. 4; 2109, n. 1; 2113). The general Promoter of the Faith, even if not questioned, may intervene, especially if the matter is important and the facts need to be clarified more fully (can. 2010 § 2). Once the discussion of the virtues, which have been declared heroic by decree, has been completed, the examination proceeds to the two miracles performed through the intercession of the servant of God, miracles required for beatification. In this examination and discussion as well, the general Promoter of the Faith intervenes with his animadversiones, observing the same rules established for the discussion of the virtues (cann. 2120; 2121, n. 4; 2122 § 1; 2123). It is at this point that the general Promoter of the Faith must be heard concerning the appointment of the experts entrusted with determining, in the light of science, whether the event proposed as a miracle can or cannot be explained by the laws of nature. Once the servant of God has been solemnly declared blessed, the general Promoter of the Faith intervenes once again in the cause of canonization (cann. 2139, 2140).
The general Promoter of the Faith, who, as has already been written, forms part of the S. Congr. of Rites (1st section for causes of beatification and canonization), has an ordinary audience with the S. Father on the first Sunday of every month to report on his high office. He receives notification to attend public and semi-public consistories. During the address which, in public consistories, the consistorial advocates deliver (regulations issued by Urbano VIII, 23 January 1631), requesting the pope’s authorization for the beatification, the general Promoter of the Faith makes the customary protest and petition that everything established by the Apostolic Constitutions be observed in the cause, that the proceedings follow the customary formulas, and that the cause be referred for full consideration to the S. Congr. of Rites.
IV. THE FIGURE OF THE DEPUTY GENERAL PROMOTER OF THE F
The deputy promoters, appointed by the general promoter of the F. to conduct the apostolic process in diocesan curias (can. 2011 § 2), have already been discussed. But alongside him in the S. Congregation of Rites there is the deputy general promoter of the F., who until 1824 was merely a study assistant, removable ad nutum by the general promoter of the F. In that year (nostra proprio of 3 May), in view of his extraordinary merits, Msgr. Cardellini, the deputy promoter, was also made assessor of the S. Congregation of Rites by Leo XII. This Pontiff, moreover, on assigning Msgr. Frattini to him as coadjutor, established that the office of assessor should be permanent and perpetual and that the assessor should belong to the class of officials of that same S. Congregation, taking rank immediately after the general promoter of the F. and having a vote like the other consultors. Leo XII established that the office of deputy general promoter of the F. should always be joined to this assessorship, and ordered that, according to the ancient system, the deputy promoter should maintain a study in his own residence for young men who wished to qualify to act as procurators and advocates in the causes of the servants of God and in other matters within the competence of the S. Congregation of Rites, and that he should also, in his capacity as assessor, receive in that study those who wished to be instructed in ceremonial and liturgical matters.The assessor, being also deputy promoter, must assist as fiscal procurator in all apostolic processes conducted in Rome in the causes of the servants of God or the blesseds, and also in apostolic processes outside Rome, if assigned thereto by the general promoter of the F. In practice, however, the deputy promoter rarely takes part in these processes extra urbem.
It is the duty of the deputy promoter to examine all the processes in the causes that are proposed, in order to compile the summaries of objections, when required, and to make the appropriate annotations in them, which serve as the basis for the general promoter of the F. in making his animadversiones (v. const. Sanctissimus Dominus of Innocent XI of 18 October 1678: Bull. Rom., vol. XIX, Turin 1870, p. 123). Their compilation, however, belongs exclusively to the general promoter of the F., and the deputy promoter is to do nothing more than, so to speak, prepare the material. He must also examine all the summaries, information, and documents submitted in the causes of the servants of God and approve the revista: indeed, he must also correct the proofs of the printed summaries, comparing them with the original processes or other authentic documents. Then, as assessor, he must examine all the liturgical doubts referred to the S. Congregation; he must assist in the revision of all the pious considerations, meditations, and prayers that are intended to be printed there. Moreover, he must examine and place the nihil obstat on all prayers and pious works for which some indulgence, plenary or partial, is sought from the Holy See. In former times the deputy promoter was also a consultor of the S. Congregation of Indulgences and Sacred Relics and therefore had to issue as well those opinions that were referred to him by that Congregation.
At canonizations and beatifications, the general promoter of the F. and the deputy general promoter of the F., in addition to the usual emoluments, images, and lives of the blesseds and saints, receive their relics and a large oil painting depicting them.