Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 26
Catholic Church Beatifies Fulton Sheen After 2010 Miracle Revived Child Following 61 Minutes Without Heartbeat
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 26

Catholic Church Beatifies Fulton Sheen After 2010 Miracle Revived Child Following 61 Minutes Without Heartbeat

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 26

Summary

  • St. Louis hosted Fulton Sheen’s beatification on Thursday, formally declaring the famed U.S. archbishop “blessed” and moving him a step closer to sainthood.
  • A 2010 case cleared that path: a child born without heartbeat or respiration revived after 61 minutes and later fully recovered, a miracle Pope Francis approved in 2019.
  • Sheen’s public stature helped make the ceremony unusually prominent — his radio show reached more than 4 million people and his TV program drew an estimated 30 million viewers.
  • Pope Leo XIV approved the beatification and, through an apostolic letter read by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, praised Sheen for using modern communications to proclaim the Gospel.
  • The White House and conservative commentator Michael Knowles used the moment to highlight Sheen’s anti-communism and traditional Catholic message, arguing his warnings still resonate in U.S. culture.

Insights

What exactly happened during the 61-minute medical anomaly that pushed Archbishop Sheen one step closer to sainthood?
Would a pioneering media bishop's traditional message truly spark outrage today, or secretly draw millions of new followers?
How did a 1950s TV preacher's chalkboard methods secretly lay the groundwork for modern viral communication?