Ahead of beatification, Pope Leo XIV mentions Fulton Sheen
Pope Leo XIV announced the beatification of American bishop Fulton Sheen during his general audience on September 23. The beatification will be held tomorrow in St. Louis, Missouri, on the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, with Cardinal Luis Tagle presiding. Sheen, famed for his evangelizing through media, is buried in Peoria, Illinois, and the ceremony will honor his devotion to the Blessed Mother. The event is presented as an inspiration for new ways of spreading the Gospel message.
7 days ago
Pope Leo XIV highlighted the upcoming beatification of American bishop Fulton Sheen, urging Catholics to follow his example of using media to spread the Gospel. The ceremony is scheduled for September 24 in St. Louis, Missouri. 1
Speaking to English-speaking pilgrims after his September 23 general audience, Leo said he hoped Sheen’s example and intercession would inspire others to find new ways to share the Gospel “with joyful enthusiasm.” He also invoked peace and joy upon the pilgrims and their families. 1
Cardinal Luis Tagle will preside at the beatification Mass as the Pope’s representative. Although Sheen is buried in Peoria, Illinois, the ceremony will take place in St. Louis because the venue can accommodate a large indoor gathering and is near the Diocese of Peoria. 1
The beatification falls on the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, a date described in the article as fitting for Sheen because of his devotion to the Blessed Mother. 1
Examine how media evangelization shapes beatification criteria in Catholic canon law
Media evangelization can make a candidate’s life and witness more widely known, and can help a genuine reputation for holiness become visible. But it does not itself establish the juridical grounds for beatification: publicity is not a substitute for evidence of heroic virtue, martyrdom, or a qualifying offer of life, nor does popularity prove sanctity.
The Church recognizes media as a legitimate means of evangelization. Used seriously and responsibly, they can communicate the Gospel and help people encounter Christian witness; digital media can likewise improve knowledge of a candidate’s life. In a cause, that visibility may help reveal or document a fama sanctitatis—a reputation for holiness—or a reputation for martyrdom and intercessory power. The Church, however, looks for a reputation that is spontaneous, stable, enduring, and present in a significant part of the Christian community, not merely intense attention at a particular moment.
That reputation points toward what must actually be examined. The cause concerns a Catholic recognized for living Christian virtues heroically, or for dying as a martyr. Media attention may direct people to relevant testimony or records, but the supplied norms do not make reach, followers, favorable coverage, or online devotion independent beatification criteria.
The same channels that spread information can distort it. Pope Francis specifically cautioned that social and digital media may foster exaggeration or misrepresentation, sometimes for self-interested reasons; therefore, those assessing a reputation for holiness must discern whether it is authentic and enduring. A viral campaign, polished biography, or large online following might be evidence that a candidate is widely discussed, but by itself it cannot show that the person lived heroic virtue or was killed out of hatred of the faith.
There is also a pastoral and procedural concern: while a cause is being examined, solemn celebrations or speeches that could lead the faithful to think canonization is assured are prohibited. In media terms, promotion that presents a candidate as already proven holy or as certain to be beatified risks confusing public enthusiasm with the Church’s still-pending judgment.
Media evangelization should serve truthful witness, not engineer a result. Catholic teaching calls for media work to be accountable and oriented toward truth and human dignity; it also recognizes that media shape people’s culture and mentality. Applied to causes, that means communicating documented facts carefully, distinguishing devotion from official recognition, and leaving room for scrutiny—including evidence that complicates a favorable public narrative.
The available texts support this distinction between media’s possible role in making a reputation known and the Church’s duty to test that reputation. They do not provide a complete account of current canon-law procedure or every evidentiary rule for beatification, so more detailed procedural claims cannot be established here.