Tagle to represent Pope Leo XIV at beatification of US archbishop Sheen

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MANILA, Philippines — Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has been appointed as the representative of Pope Leo XIV for the beatification of American Archbishop Venerable Fulton Sheen, the Vatican said.

The beatification ceremony is set on September 24 in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States, according to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

A papal representative presides over the rite on behalf of the pope and formally declares a "Venerable" servant of God as "Blessed."

Tagle, who serves as pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, will act on behalf of the pontiff during the ceremony.

Who was Sheen?

Sheen was a prominent figure in the United States known for evangelizing through radio and television.

He joined the radio program "The Catholic Hour" in 1930, which drew millions of listeners, and later hosted the television show "Life is Worth Living" beginning in 1951, which reached an audience of around 30 million, according to Vatican News.

Sheen served as Bishop of Rochester from 1951 to 1969 before being appointed titular archbishop of Newport.

Born on May 8, 1895, in El Paso, Illinois, to an Irish family, he discerned his priestly vocation at age 24 and was ordained in 1919.

A 1956 New York Times report noted that Sheen had papal permission to celebrate both the Roman Rite and the Byzantine Divine Liturgy.

He was also known for efforts to seek common ground with Christians from non-Catholic churches, including Eastern Orthodox and Protestant communities.

Sheen died in New York on December 9, 1979, at the age of 84.

Path to beatification. Sheen was declared Venerable in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.

In 2019, Pope Francis approved a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to his intercession, paving the way for his beatification.