At last.
From OSV News:
Venerable Fulton J. Sheen will soon be beatified, now that the Vatican has given the green light, the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, announced Feb. 9. No date or location for the beatification was given.
The announcement comes six years after the Holy See had postponed the beatification, initially scheduled for December 2019, only weeks before the event was to take place.
“The Holy See has informed me that the Cause for the Venerable Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen can proceed to Beatification,” Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria said in a Feb. 9 statement. “The next step in the process is the celebration of the Beatification, in which Fulton Sheen would be declared Blessed.”
He added, “We are working with the Dicastery of the Causes of Saints at the Vatican to determine the details for the upcoming Beatification.”
The bishop said the date and event details will be released soon through celebratesheen.com, the website for Archbishop Sheen’s cause.
Read more, to learn how the beatification was delayed.
In the Catholic Church, beatification is the first major step to sainthood, granting a deceased person the title “Blessed” and allowing limited public veneration (like in a region) after proving heroic virtue and one verified miracle. Canonization is the final step, declaring the person a saint, permitting worship across the entire Church, and requiring a second miracle after beatification, making their veneration universal.
Essentially, beatification opens the door for local honor, while canonization opens it for the whole world, recognizing a saint as being in heaven with God.
Archbishop Sheen was declared Venerable when Pope Benedict XVI recognized his life of heroic virtue on June 28, 2012. The miracle attributed to Sheen’s intercession was recognized by Pope Francis on July 6, 2019.
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.
I am particularly thankful for the collaboration, assistance, generosity, and prayers from the Holy See, my brother Bishops, clergy and lay people from around the world in moving this cause forward. Archbishop Sheen will be a special blessing for the Church in the United States, where he was a powerful evangelist on radio, television, and in personal appearances. Throughout the world, Sheen led the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and sustained the work of the Missions throughout the world. The Church in Peoria rejoices with all of you in honoring this heroic Bishop and leader in the Church.”
+Bishop Louis Tylka, Diocese of Peoria
Fulton Sheen, pray for us!
