Venerable Fulton Sheen, one of the most popular Catholic communicators of the 20th Century, will be beatified according to the Holy See, after informing the Diocese of Peoria his cause can proceed.
Sheen was due to be beatified in December 2019 but the event was postponed just weeks prior, stalled by controversies which have now been resolved.
On February 9, the Diocese of Peoria, where Sheen was ordained a priest in 1919, announced the Holy See had declared the beatification could now proceed, with a date expected to be set shortly.
“The next step in the process is the celebration of the beatification, in which Fulton Sheen would be declared Blessed,” said Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria.
“Archbishop Fulton Sheen was one of the greatest voices of evangelization in the Church and the world in the 20th century. I have long admired his lifelong commitment to serve the Church as a priest, rooted in his deep devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Eucharist.”
“As he journeyed through the different stages of his life, his ability to share the Gospel and truly relate to people drew countless souls into an encounter with Jesus — one that transformed not only his life, but more importantly, the lives of those he touched.”
“In his later years, particularly through his work for the Missions, Archbishop Sheen helped us recognize that the Church is meant for all people. He reminded us that as members of the Church, we are called to serve everyone, especially those most in need and those longing to hear and experience the Gospel, wherever they may be in the world,” he said.
Born Peter John Sheen in El Paso, Illinois on 8 May 1895, he was called "Fulton" in honour of his mother's maiden name. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Peoria in 1919 and quickly became renowned as a theologian, teaching at the Catholic University of America.
In 1930, as "Father Sheen" he began presenting a night-time radio program before moving to television in 1952, winning an Emmy Award and making the cover of Time Magazine. His television shows attracted a weekly viewership of as many as 30 million people.
He was appointed an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of New York in 1951 and then made Bishop of Rochester in 1966. He retired in 1969 and was made a titular Archbishop in retirement. He passed away in 1979 at the age of 84.
His cause for canonisation was opened in 2002 and in 2012 he was declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI.
The Diocese of Peoria said it was working with the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican to determine the detail for Sheen's beatification, expected to be later this year.