Welcome to Aaron Menke's Cabinet of Curiosity's, a production of IHeart Radio and grim and mild.

Our world is full of the unexplainable.

And if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to

explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosity's.

Imagine having a debate about any topic in the universe, from politics or sports teams to which type of pizza is better, New York or New Haven.

And then, someone says those frustrating words, hey, I'm just playing devil's advocate.

With that, your lighthearted jabs about the best pizza toppings and

cheese to tomato sauce ratios all die in your throat. You'll be here all night, and by the time

you're done, you won't even be sure if you like pizza anymore. These days, the phrase devil's

advocate refers to someone who will take a position they may not necessarily agree with,

just for the sake of argument.

But the favorite phrase of the worst person in your debate club actually used to be a real job.

You see, back in the 16th century, the Advocantus Diaboli was the person who literally

took the side of the devil against the saints.

For over a thousand years, becoming a saint

in the Roman Catholic Church was kind of up to individual bishops. It wasn't until the 1100s

that the process of becoming a saint, called canonization, was formalized by the Pope. To become

a saint, someone would have to fit very specific parameters. First, the candidate would have to be

dead for at least five years. Next, the candidate would have to be dead for at least five years.

Next, the church would launch an investigation to ensure that they lived a holy life full of virtue.

After that, the church confirmed that people were drawn to prayer because of the candidate's actions,

and finally, the church needed to prove that the candidate performed two verified

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