News
Diocese halts Fulton Sheen canonization effort indefinitely
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- Published on Wednesday, 03 September 2014 18:53
- Written by Paul Gordon
Efforts to have Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen canonized a saint have been suspended indefinitely, the Peoria Diocese announced Wednesday.
In a news release issued late Wednesday afternoon, Bishop Daniel R. Jenky attributed the delay to a decision by the Archdiocese of New York to deny his request to move Sheen’s body to Peoria for official inspection and retrieval of first class relics.
“The process to verify a possible miracle attributed to Sheen had been going extremely well, and only awaited a vote of the Cardinals and the approval of the Holy Father. There was every indication that a possible date for beatification in Peoria would have been scheduled for as early as the coming year,” the news release said.
“The Holy See expected that the remains of Venerable Sheen would be moved to Peoria where official inspection would be made and first class relics be taken. Subsequently, the Archdiocese of New York denied Bishop Jenky’s request to move the body to Peoria. After further discussion with Rome, it was decided that the Sheen Cause would now have to be relegated to the Congregation’s historic archive,” it said.
“Countless supporters, especially from the local church in central Illinois, have given their time, treasure and talent for this good work with the clear understanding that the body of Venerable Sheen would return to the Diocese. Bishop Jenky was personally assured on several occasions by the Archdiocese of New York that the transfer of the body would take place at the appropriate time. New York’s change of mind took place as the work on behalf of the Cause had reached a significant stage,” the news release said.
The Peoria diocese and the Sheen Foundation have been working on the Sheen Cause for 12 years. It had reached the stage where a miracle attributed to Sheen ̶ a newborn being given life after being technically deceased ̶ had been declared valid. Beatification was only two steps away, approval from the College of Cardinals and then from Pope Francis.
“The Bishop is heartbroken not only for his flock in Peoria but also for the many supporters of the Sheen Cause from throughout the world who have so generously supported Peoria’s efforts,” the diocese said. “It should be noted, however, that saints are always made by God, not by man. Efforts for many causes have sometimes taken decades or even centuries. Bishop Jenky urges that those who support the Sheen Cause continue their prayers that God’s will be made manifest.”
