Why isn’t Fulton Sheen a canonized saint?
Some thoughts about the TV star and Catholic bishop, Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
The Catholic Church rarely has to consider whether or not to pursue canonization procedures for television personalities. After all, those who make their living in entertainment are generally more interested in achieving popularity than in living lives of heroic virtue. But Bishop Fulton Sheen was certainly an exception to that rule.
Baptized as Peter John Sheen in El Paso, Illinois, in 1895, everyone called him “Fulton,” his mother’s maiden name, from the time he was young. Although he was raised on a farm, he was clearly not destined to spend his life as a farmer.
Instead, he was the sort of hard-working, intelligent boy who becomes valedictorian of his high school class and goes to college. Fulton, who had been an altar server as a boy, discerned a call to the priesthood, and continued to excel in his studies after being ordained a priest. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Belgium, was the first American to win the Cardinal Mercier Prize, and taught philosophy and theology in America and England for years before being named a bishop.
A high IQ, however, is not a requirement for sainthood. After all, many great saints have been illiterate, and some notorious sinners have been extremely intelligent. Humility is a necessity for any virtuous Catholic, however, and despite his remarkable intellectual success, it is clear that Sheen always remained a humble man.
For example, he frequently recounted an experience that occurred early in his life. One of his listeners was so impressed with Sheen’s presentation that he approached the priest afterward and gushed about what a brilliant talk he had given. When Sheen pressed the man to explain what he liked so much about the speech, his admirer was at a loss for words. Sheen promised himself that he would never again give a speech, no matter how seemingly brilliant, that merely bounced off the heads of his listeners. Instead, he was able to attract “standing room only” crowds to his lectures precisely because he spent hours preparing every talk he gave, trying to make sure that his audience would always be able to understand what he was talking about.
Sheen, of course, did not see himself as an intellectual but as a priest. He prioritized his faith in his personal life by famously spending an hour every day in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and encouraging others to do the same. He also made himself aware of the contemporary philosophical arguments through careful research, which enabled him to explain to his listeners how to live a virtuous, faithful life despite the culture of the day. Through his charming personality and quick wit, he brought many people—ordinary people, as well as the rich and famous—into the Church simply by chatting with them. In his spare time, he wrote sixty-six books.
Fr. Sheen possessed an excellent speaking voice, an innate stage presence, and a great sense of humor. He was also a handsome man. His successful radio show, The Catholic Hour, gradually evolved into an even more successful television show, Life is Worth Living, which won awards and beat out mainstream shows in the ratings. He deflected praise by joking that he simply had better writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. However, the pay he received as the star of a popular TV show was directed not into his own pocket but to support the charitable organization he directed, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
Fr. Sheen had his enemies, of course. The FBI investigated him briefly because he dared to criticize Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union. After all, the US was allied with the Soviets against the Nazis at the time. But his most dangerous enemy was, believe it or not, a cardinal, with whom he got in a fight over milk. (See Raymond Arroyo’s introduction to Sheen’s autobiography.)
Sheen requested donations from his listeners to support Catholic missions all over the world. When the US government donated millions of dollars’ worth of milk to the New York Archdiocese, Cardinal Francis Spellman gave that donated milk to Sheen’s society—but he wanted to be paid for it. Sheen refused, see it as unethical for him to pay millions of dollars for milk that had been donated to help the poor. Spellman angrily retaliated by pressuring Sheen to leave his television show, making sure the priest knew he was unwelcome in New York City churches, and finally reassigning him to Rochester, New York. The relocation terminated Sheen’s successful leadership of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith.
The fact that Sheen never publicly criticized Spellman or complained about this vengeful mistreatment—only obliquely referring to some unpleasantness in his biography—should convince anyone that Fulton Sheen was a man of Christlike forgiveness and obedience.
With all these examples of Fulton Sheen’s humility, priestly dedication, selfless service, and personal virtue, why is he currently only known as Venerable Servant of God Fulton Sheen?
It helps to first understand some of the criteria that are examined by the Catholic Church before the Church declares someone to be a blessed or a saint.
When a deceased Catholic is proposed for canonization, the Church first examines that person’s life to determine whether there is evidence of heroic virtue. After all, if someone is considered worthy of universal veneration as a saint, the person should have lived his or her life in an extraordinarily Christlike manner. Because of Fulton Sheen’s long life and many relationships, it took time to question friends, family, and even enemies to determine whether he lived a heroically virtuous life. But that evaluation has long since been completed, and many witnesses attested to Sheen’s faith, prayer life, generosity, and personal virtue, both in front of the camera and in private life.
Similarly, his many writings and public appearances had to be carefully examined to ensure that nothing that he wrote or said was contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church. That examination has also been completed for many years since Sheen’s death in 1979.
Additionally, the Church prefers to see the existence of a longstanding public devotion to the proposed saint—generally called “cult”—which indicates that the deceased person continues to inspire Catholics long after death. It is easy to demonstrate a strong following for Fulton Sheen’s memory through the ongoing popularity of his re-broadcast television shows, the continued sales of his reprinted books, and the numerous websites which promote his canonization.
In order for a non-martyr to be named a blessed by the Catholic Church, at least one verified miracle must be attributed to the person’s intercession. (Note that a miracle is not required in the case of martyrdom and that the pope can waive this requirement.) This “sign from God” encourages us to believe that the deceased person is now in Heaven and enjoys the beatific vision. In 2010, when Bonnie Engstrom’s newborn son, who was born lifeless and did not have a pulse for 61 minutes, miraculously and inexplicably revived, the world and the Church got its answer about Fulton Sheen’s holiness. Engstrom had prayed ceaselessly for the intercession of Fulton Sheen to save the life of her son during those critical minutes.
With all these clear indications of the holiness of the late Fulton Sheen, it is a shame that his beatification was delayed for years over an argument between two dioceses over where to place his body. Sheen was ordained a priest in Peoria, Illinois, but he spent many years serving in New York and requested to be buried in the Archdiocese of New York. After many years, the legal battle between Peoria and New York was finally resolved, and Sheen’s body was moved to a tomb in the cathedral in Peoria in 2019. Later that year, another delay in his beatification was ordered because of concerns that Sheen’s actions as bishop of Rochester had not been fully vetted regarding his handling of priestly abuse cases.
Put simply, there was concern that if Sheen were beatified and was later shown to have handled an abuse case contrary to procedures given in the Dallas Charter—a set of standards established twenty-three years after Sheen’s death—it would be embarrassing to the Church. By early 2023, Sheen’s actions as bishop had been fully examined, and there was no evidence that he ever mishandled allegations of priestly abuse.
What does this mean for those of us who are convinced that Fulton Sheen is a saint in Heaven?
Fortunately, precisely because he was a radio and television personality as well as published author, we can continue to be inspired by his shows and books. We can allow his works (like this one) to accomplish what he originally desired for them: for people to draw closer to Jesus Christ and His Church.
But we can also keep praying for his canonization as a saint, particularly on December 9, the date of his death. Perhaps Fulton Sheen can help each of us understand a difficult concept or live a more virtuous life. Or, if someone we know or love needs a miracle right now, we can beg the Lord to answer that prayer through the prayers of Venerable Fulton Sheen.
Prayer for the Canonization of Fulton Sheen
Heavenly Father, source of all holiness, You raise up within the Church in every age men and women who serve with heroic love and dedication. You have blessed Your Church through the life and ministry of Your faithful servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He has written and spoken well of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and was a true instrument of the Holy Spirit in touching the hearts of countless people. If it be according to Your Will, for the honor and glory of the Most Holy Trinity and for the salvation of souls, we ask You to move the Church to proclaim him a saint. We ask this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.