With the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen last week, Catholic Answers seeks to clear up confusion about the difference between “saint” and “blessed” and why he is no longer “Venerable,” yet he is not declared “Saint.”
But what does “beatification” even mean? Beatification is an ecclesiastical act by which the Church declares that one of the faithful departed is “Blessed,” signaling that such a person’s presence in heaven is worthy of belief and that at least one miracle has been attributed directly to his or her intercession.
Before Thursday, Sheen bore the title “Venerable,” meaning that the pope had formally recognized that he lived a life of heroic Christian virtue. Now that he bears the title “Blessed,” the Church grants permission to liturgically venerate Sheen, though that veneration is limited. Churches may now be named for him and formally placed under his patronage, and his relics may be venerated within ecclesiastical settings. Fulton Sheen’s feast day will be December 9, the anniversary of his death.
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