Advocate (An)
means one called to assist clients in a court of law. (Latin, advocāre.)
The Devil’s Advocate. One who brings forward malicious accusations. When any name is proposed for canonisation in the Roman Catholic Church, two advocates are appointed, one to oppose the motion and one to defend it. The former, called Advocaʹtus Diabʹoli (the Devil’s Advocate), advances all he can against the person in question; the latter, called Advocaʹtus Dei (God’s Advocate), says all he can in support of the proposal.
