By Anthony Barich
SYDNEY Cardinal George Pell and Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey have joined the global push for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J Sheen.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Philip E Wilson of Adelaide and Archbishop Hickey, ACBC vice president, along with Melbourne Archbishop Denis J Hart and Darwin Bishop D Eugene Hurley, have signed a cover letter to be presented on 25 May to Pope Benedict XVI with the position paper, or positio, by Bishop Daniel J Jenky of Peoria.
Cardinal Pell and Archbishop Hart also wrote separate letters to the Peoria-based Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation.
The cover letter was given to many local Bishops to sign by the Archbishop Fulton J Sheen Society, which leads the late prelate’s beatification cause in Australia.
Founded in 1999 in Perth by father and son team Daniel and Martin Tobin, the Society promotes the beatification and works of Archbishop Sheen.
An annual concert run since 2000 has raised over $50,000 for missions in India, Kenya and China and for a Fulton J Sheen Scholarship established in 2006 at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Sydney. It also funded a series of television spots on Channel 9 by Archbishop Hickey.
This year’s concert at Gibney Hall at Trinity College, is on 25 May.
The Australian Bishops’ letters will be presented to the Pope with the positio, summarising Sheen’s life and virtue, along with letters from prelates around the world by Bishop Jensky on 25 May after the weekly general audience with the positio.
In his personal letter sent directly to the postulators of Sheen’s cause in Peoria, Illinois, Cardinal Pell said he admires what Archbishop Sheen did as a catechist, in particular “his skill at harnessing the media to present Catholic teaching in a compelling and faithful way”.
“I’m also impressed by the number of people from many walks of life who have been moved by Archbishop Sheen’s example and teaching,” the Cardinal said.
“Archbishop Sheen had a gift for touching the lives of people in enormously varied circumstances and states of life.
“This gift continues to be evident through the inspiration his writings provide to people today.”
In his own personal letter, Archbishop Hart spoke of the “profound” influence the late prelate had on his own life and vocation to the priesthood.
“As a small boy I remember the impression and the faith (Sheen) created when visiting Melbourne in 1948 for the Centenary of the Archdiocese,” Archbishop Hart said in the letter dated 5 April.
“My life has been profoundly touched by his stressing of a daily Eucharistic holy hour and I believe that the spiritual leadership which he has provided is worthy of closer examination.
“In far-off Australia, we would support very much the moves in the Church in the United States to promote (Sheen’s) cause for beatification.
“Clearly evident was his loyalty to the Church, passionate love of God and devotion to Mary, our Blessed Mother.
“Even in the time of great suffering his deep, interior life transformed his life and ministry and shone from all that he did.
“I therefore pray that his cause be submitted for examination to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and, because of his reputation for holiness, I believe that such examination is in the interests of the Church, of priests and of so many people.”
Handing the positio to the Pope is the initial step in the Vatican’s process to determine whether an individual should be beatified and then canonised as a saint.
Once this step has been completed, an investigation can begin into a miracle that may have occurred as a result of prayer to Archbishop Sheen.
Mgr Stanley Deptula, executive director of the US-based Archbishop Sheen Foundation, said the foundation believes a miracle has already been granted through the intercession of the late prelate, but would not release details, as is usually the case when a miracle is under investigation.
In November 2010 the diocese of Peoria suspended its promotion of Archbishop Sheen’s cause due to a dispute with the Archdiocese of New York over the final resting place of his remains.
The diocese resumed its work in January 2011.