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postulator

postulator

1 9.9
A person who officially supports someone to become a saint
  • noun
  • /ˈpɒstjʊleɪtər/
  • Formal
translation icon : postulador
  • The prayer of the rosary is even more baffling. Sr. Angela Coelho, postulator for two of the shepherds of Fatima, said at a conference I attended that we should pray the rosary because God asks us to and because it forms our identity, even if we fall asleep or get distracted.
  • postulator for the cause

Examples

  • The postulator presented a compelling case for the beatification of the late priest, emphasizing his charitable works.

  • After years of work, the postulator finally submitted the application for the canonization of the local martyr.

  • As a postulator, she is responsible for gathering evidence to support the cause of a candidate for sainthood.

Synonyms

proponent
vspostulator
104 5.2

A person who supports an idea, plan, or cause

acts as an official supporter who proposes a religious candidate for sainthood
submitter
vspostulator
  • Formal
2 5.1

A person who sends an application, proposal, or document for others to consider

serves as an official advocate who proposes a person for religious recognition
nominator
vspostulator
1 3.9

A person who officially suggests someone for a job, award or election

is specific to proposing or supporting a religious sainthood candidate
proposer
vspostulator
1 4.6

A person who suggests an idea or plan

focuses on officially proposing or supporting a religious person for recognition

Surface Forms

postulator singular
postulators plural

Morphology

postulator = postulate (semi-transparent) = postulate + or

Formally derived from 'postulate' + the agentive suffix '-or' and predictable in form, but the sense in Catholic usage is a specialized institutional role that may not be obvious to average learners.

Etymology

Postulator comes from the Latin postulare meaning 'to ask'. In the Church a postulator is the person who officially 'asks' for someone to become a saint, so the origin explains why they gather evidence and make the formal request.