Why has "Devil's advocate" office been changed?

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Accepted answer

Pope John Paul II abolished the Promotor fidei (Promoter of the Faith) office, better known as Advocatus diaboli (Devil's advocate) in 1983

No, he did not abolish this office. There is still one Promoter of the Faith for every cause of canonization. What Pope John Paul II did was to reduce his power to a great extent and change his role in the process of canonization.

Before the reform their job was not only to point out problems, but to actively seek them out. Furthermore, the canonization process could not move forward until every one of the Promotor Fidei's objections were answered to his satisfaction, giving him an effective veto power on the whole canonization.

In the modern procedure, the Promotor Fidei does not actively seek out problems, and no longer has anything close to a veto power over the process; his influence is reduced to presenting a report and being on hand as an "expert" whose opinion may be solicited, but there is nothing in the modern procedure where the Promotor Fidei submits a list of objections that must be answered by the Postulators. src

What was the reason of this action?

Because many bishops complained that the process of canonization was way too much cumbersome.

Is the unnatural rise of saint only a side-effect, or it was meant this way? Why?

Changing the role of this office was not the only cause for rise in canonizations. There are other factors too.

  • Previously four miracles were required for canonization. Now only two.
  • Also modern communication systems meant faster process.
  • Transporting of evidences and documents between diocesan bishops and the roman curia became faster.
  • Improvement in medical sciences and recording of medical history by default for all patients now allow more incidents to be taken for consideration of a miracle.

Are there any other impacts caused by this decision?

Other than the process becoming faster than before, I do not think there are any other impacts. After-all canonizations are infallible proclamations by the Pope.

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