Fulton Sheen’s cause for beatification is still on track

On June 28, 2012, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen was recognized for his "heroic virtues" and was declared "venerable" by Pope Benedict XVI. It was a major milestone in the cause for his beatification and canonization, which was officially opened in 2002 by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria, Illinois.

After an extensive medical study, a miracle in 2010 was attributed to Fulton Sheen's intercession. The miracle involves the unexplained recovery of James Fulton Engstrom, a boy born apparently stillborn in September 2010 to Bonnie and Travis Engstrom of the Peoria-area town of Goodfield.

A seven-member panel of medical experts advising the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints gave unanimous approval of the miracle.

This miracle opened up the possibility for Fulton Sheen to be beatified, and after a public battle over his remains between the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Peoria, everything was cleared for the ceremony to take place.

His beatification was set for December 21, 2019, when weeks before the ceremony, the Vatican issued a pause, due to a legal investigation into sex abuse claims in the Diocese of Rochester, New York.

Since then the cause has been on hold, but recent events have opened up the possibility for the beatification ceremony to finally be rescheduled.

Msgr. Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation, told OSV News at the end of 2024 that, "Sheen is clean … Not one accusation has been raised that impugned Sheen."

The Foundation made an intensive examination of all the cases that were being brought forth and did not find any that were connected to Fulton Sheen. They even presented their findings to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and it was agreed that Sheen was not at fault.

However, Msgr. Gray noted, "the only thing remaining is a 'dormant' investigation by New York State Attorney General Letitia Jones."

Since the investigation is still open, it is unknown whether or not the Vatican will go forward with the beatification, even though Fulton Sheen has not been linked to any cases.

Despite the setbacks, Msgr. Gray said that his beatification is "inevitable."

Recently, the Diocese of Peoria is opening the "The Fulton J. Sheen Experience," to accommodate the thousands of pilgrims who come to pray at the tomb of Fulton Sheen.

Additionally, Bishop Louis Tylka, the current bishop of Peoria, has remarked that he will be contacting Pope Leo XIV about the cause, "God willing, hopefully soon ... Certainly with a new Holy Father, we’ll be reaching out to him to encourage him to allow us to move that forward.”

Pope Leo XIV grew up in Illinois, the same state where Fulton Sheen was born and where the cause for beatification is being run.