A more thorough explanation:

Advocati ecclesiae (ad-və-kay-tee e-klee-zee-ee), noun, plural. A term from historical ecclesiastical law.

1. Church patrons who had the right to present a clerk to a benefice. This means that they had the power to appoint someone to a position in the church. See .

2. Legal advocates who were hired to argue cases relating to a church.

1. In medieval times, wealthy landowners often held the right of advocati ecclesiae and used it to appoint their family members or friends to positions in the church. For example, a lord might appoint his son as the priest of a local parish.

2. In the 19th century, there were many legal disputes between different religious groups over property and other matters. Lawyers who specialized in these cases were known as advocati ecclesiae.

The term advocati ecclesiae refers to two different groups of people who were involved in the church. The first group were church patrons who had the power to appoint someone to a position in the church. This was often used by wealthy landowners to give positions to their family members or friends. The second group were lawyers who specialized in cases relating to the church. These lawyers were hired to argue cases on behalf of the church or its members.

The examples illustrate how the term was used in different historical contexts. The first example shows how the right of advocati ecclesiae was used in medieval times to appoint people to positions in the church. The second example shows how lawyers who specialized in church-related cases were known as advocati ecclesiae in the 19th century.

Advowson is a related term that refers specifically to the right to appoint a clergyman to a benefice. This is similar to the right of advocati ecclesiae, but it is more specific. The term is still used in modern ecclesiastical law.