postulator

American  

[pos-chuh-ley-ter] / ˈpɒs tʃəˌleɪ tər /

noun

Roman Catholic Church.

1. a priest who presents a plea for a beatification or the canonization of a beatus.

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postulator British  

/ ˈpɒstjʊˌleɪtə /

noun

1. RC Church a person, usually a priest, deputed to prepare and present a plea for the beatification or canonization of some deceased person

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Etymology

Origin of postulator

First recorded in 1860–65, postulator is from the Latin word postulātor claimant. See postulate, -tor

Example Sentences

It took 60 years but a postulator from the Vatican finally came to Richard, a lonesome patch of boggy farmland in southern Louisiana’s rice belt, last December.

From New York Times • Dec. 20, 2022

She happened upon this privilege by virtue of her role: She is the vice postulator for John Paul I’s sainthood.

From Washington Post • Dec. 7, 2021

For the record, the postulator of Mother Teresa’s cause says her case, which stretched over 20 years, cost less than 100,000 euros.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 3, 2016

The postulator, in this case Canadian priest Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, sends voluminous documentation to the Vatican, where its Congregation for the Causes of Saints assigns it to a "relator".

From Reuters • Sep. 2, 2016

The postulator, who is the mandatory of a diocese or ecclesiastical commonalty, is the solicitor.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2 "Camorra" to "Cape Colony" by Various