So glad to see that Bishop Sheen has been declared “venerable”.  I hope his journey to sainthood will be brief, because we need him to intercede for us with the present way our country is leading us.  Also, wonderful that a lot of the Spanish martyrs are being recognized, as this was a period of time where many Americans got involved (on the wrong side) and the truth needs to be told.  I remember his wonderful broadcasts on tV (and still being broadcast on EWTN).  Most are not outdated and continue to point to the truth of whats happening to the modern world and our country.  Best of all, he will again be a “model priest” as well as “bishop” to our current clergy, and he was not afraid to speak out against Communism and atheism.  Hopefully his will be an inspiration to not only our clergy but our layman.

Praise God!!!!

What a sign to receive on an otherwise very trying day (referring to the Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare)! Thanks be to God!

So glad to see him declared Venerable. I am named after this (to-be) Saint.

rosemarie kury ,
I hear you about the Spanish martyrs, but I think both sides were probably the “wrong side” in that Civil War.The martyrs were on the right side, though.

Archbishop Sheen’s intercession on behalf of religious freedom is sorely needed. What would he think & say if he was on earth today?

I am so happy to read this, especially today. Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, ora pro nobis!

On this day when he Supreme Court brought us news we did not want to hear about the HHS mandate, the news that Venerable Fulton J Sheen is on the path to sainthood, has brightened my spirits. May his path to sainthood be short. I believe we will one day see Archbishop Fulton J Sheen made a Doctor of the Church! Venerable Fulton J Sheen intercede for our country, pray for us that we may remain true to our faith, no matter what comes our way!

I was luckey to be with our class trip to Wasington DC in 1952 and met and was blessed by him at the Wasington air port, I knelt befor him. He was dress in his so familier robes. This was the St. Patrict school from Richmond,Va. that is now cosed. Thgank you John

THANK GOD!!!

Although most of these candidates seem at first brush, dedicated faithful followers of Christ, it is not clear why Alvaro del Portillo is included.
Why people like him are now considered a greater “saint” than Cardinal Wyszynski, for example?
The answer is simple: manipulation of the saint hood process by modernistic cult like groups that have infiltrated the Church.
This manipulation of the sainthood process was started in 1983, when 1917 canon law passages that defined the office of Promoter of Faith were removed. The job of the Promoter of Faith for 100 years, was to scrutinized sainthood candidates. These canons were removed at the same time as an OD operative (Card Herranz) became secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, responsible for canon law.
Not surprisingly, Bishop Javier Echevarría, the current head of “Opus Dei” is also a member of the congregation for the causes of saints.
It is a know fact that for about $1,000,000 pretty much anyone can become a “saint” now days. There even a canon law firm that advertises its services on the web. “Miracles” are easy to find. For example for the cause of Escriva de Balaguer, the healing of a rash was enough.
This is a sad and dangerous development in the Church.
This is manipulation of the Nicene Creed, and the notion of infallibility, by financially powerful cult-like groups, with “spiritualities” that have little to do with Biblical teaching (for example, dishonesty in the form of coercion, shamelessness and intransigence is a key part of “Opus Dei” “spirituality”).
Until an independent, accountable and fully competent office of Promoter of Faith is restored, the sainthood process should be placed on hold.

If you’re interested in the good Cardinal Wyszynski’s cause, you should promote it. Talking down other sainthood causes doesn’t help. Showing that Catholic people are devoted to him is a help.

The main obstacle, for saints who have a lot of writings, is that theologians have to read it all, looking for error. Causes which are organized well can help this along. Causes which are organized poorly take a long time. Polish isn’t a majority language, either, even though there are a lot more speakers in Rome than there used to be.

There’s also obvious problems with doing a thorough investigation of a person’s life, when he lived through the chaos of WWII in Poland and then was behind the Iron Curtain. With somebody like Archbishop Sheen, it’s a lot easier to follow the course of his life.

What a canon lawyer does for a sainthood cause is Vatican paperwork, and possibly making sure that no Italian guy takes a summer vacation and then forgets about the cause for twenty years. There’s nothing nefarious about it.

Suburbanbanshee, I don’t disagree with you, nor do I belittle Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and the other candidates. The problem I have is that modern cult like movements are increasingly slipping in their “saints”, as a means to promote their modernistic “spiritualities”.  The followers of Father Maciel tried this by having Maciel’s mother beatified (they almost succeeded).
This is why the office of Promoter of Faith was introduced 500 years ago (sorry for the previous typo). The role of the Promoter of Faith was to look at evidence against canonization. But since 1983, this office does not exit anymore. There is now a greater danger that financial and other interests may try to influence the magistarium, by slipping in their “saints”.

I think we used the term once as “The Devil’s Advocate” (there was also a fiction book based on that title) whose job was to scrutinize everything about the would be saint including his writings, interviewing people who knew him. etc. to try and get the whole picture.

That said, I think now they concentrate on the person’s whole life, whether they exhibited “heroic virtues” etc.  The writings especially are a major importance for this.  In fact these things count almost as much as a miracle.

Since the late Archbishop Sheen had written many books plus televised programs, it would be easier and probably faster for him to be declared Venerable then someone else whose writings have to be translated or someone who lived so long ago no such things exist.  but I believe the Holy See is still being careful.  The Church is guided by the Holy Spirit.  Remember not to long ago some wanted Queen Isabella canonized but the facts that she was anti-Semitic and was involved in the Inquisition was a big “nay” factor.

Thank goodness for promoting Saints who have lived in our time and where there is plenty of evidence for or against they beatification.  We and our youth need as many of these to imitate and pray for their intercession especially in this atheistic and secular world.

Thank you God for allowing our beloved Archbishop Fulton Sheen to be declared Venerable. His message was simple and far reaching. He will certainly outshine the venerables or saints of organisations prone in some cases to fall into imparting inept spiritual guidance due to their overriding self-interested proselyism, but where such organisations might also have had some holy persons pass through their insular ranks.
The ‘Promoter of the Faith’ or ‘Devils Advocate’ would be an office that every lawyer from common law countries would insist upon, but those from civil law (Napoleonic code and roman law traditions) countries perhaps don’t appreciate the need to have dedicated advocates to highlight everthing against a particular outcome. Whilst advocating against a holy person would be a darstardly job, and perhaps no-one would like doing it, it is nevertheless one way of just being very careful about the conclusion reached. These decisions cannot be taken lightly, and it should not be just a job for just one more committee for people who think they are important. The process should be rigorously judicial and hear equally from both sides, and not just from investigators who are easily manipulated into reporting the decision the self-important committe members want to hear.

Tom ATK, I do not have issues with your observation but it seems you have a deep grin against Opus Dei. If someone can manipulate the Causes,  can they also manipulate the lives of those touched by the the teaching, living examples, of the would-be saints? If Bishop Echevarria is a member of congregation for Causes of Saints, How possible is it that one man can manipulate the whole members of the congregation? These are not pocket Theologians and Doctors and persons with common sense knowledge. You are also invariably discrediting their competence.

Paul, I am just making observations. Opus Die is particularly problematic, because 1) evidence indicates that they were responsible for the tampering of canon laws that regulates the canonization process; 2) now they are lining up a bunch of their members for “beatification”, including people like Fr. Joseph Muzquiz who introduced Opus Dei to North America. A lot of young people suffered in the oppressive cult like environment of the house OD house during his time. I know off of a couple suicides. But now all is forgotten, and the man is to become a “saint”. There is no office that would even consider testimonies against his candidacy. People would be dismissed as “troublemakers”; 3) Escriva de Balaguer used extensively double speak in his writings, a cult like trick to confuse members. What he says is often in direct opposition to what is in the Bible. The concern is that OD is trying to overturn traditional Catholic doctrine by having all of us now “venerate” followers of their modernistic self-defined “radical” spirituality.

You say that this should have been caught by others. How long did it take to correct the shuffling of abusive priests, and how much outside pressure did it take? There is no such pressure in the saint making process. They can do what they want.

And OD is not alone. I gave the example of the Legionnaires above. There was also the example of the Focolare teenager that died of cancer, a tragic event that was exploited by the founder of that group. There is the recent case of a Dominican prelate (if I remember correctly), a postulator who was involved in a $1,000,000 con. The only place he could have gotten these funds is from an account of a candidate.

The point is that “sainthood” seems to become a commodity, a “brand” for sale. This is a form idolatry, with an agenda attached. This is dangerous. That is why an independent, competent office of Promoter of Faith was introduced after the reformation. It needs to be restored now again, and the saint making factory put on hold in the mean time, imho.

BTW, I thank the NCReg for allowing the posting these comments. The other NCR censors or delay comments that do not follow their hippy slant.

I do wish OD members well, and hope and pray for them.
If only all of us incorporated Love of God and Neighbor, classic virtues and honesty as key tenets within Catholicism.

Wonderful, what a web site it is! This weblog presents useful information to us, keep it up.

Where and how can I receive a relic of Archbishop Sheen.  I first listened to him on radio in the ‘30’s.  I have many of his audio tapes and several books.  What a great priest/Bishop he was and is still inspiring!

Hi George. There is no need to look for Archbishop relic. You already have one. those words you listened to on radio in the 30’s are his relics for you. Stick strenously to those words spoken by him and your sainthood is assured. Goodluck if you will continue to search further

Mr. Massart, I encourage you to contact the Sheen Foundation and ask them about a relic.  I know they have holy cards with relics and they may be able to send you one.
http://www.archbishopsheencause.org/
+JMJ+