Fulton Sheen Beatified in St. Louis as Michael Knowles Says His Message Would Still Draw Fire
Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the pioneering Catholic broadcaster who drew an estimated 30 million viewers to his television program, was beatified in St. Louis. Conservative commentator Michael Knowles told Fox News Digital that Sheen's unapologetic message on faith, morality and communism would likely be branded extremist today.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the Catholic broadcaster who became one of the most recognizable religious figures in 20th century America, was formally beatified by the Roman Catholic Church in St. Louis, marking a major step toward possible sainthood. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump joined Catholics celebrating his life, and the White House noted that Sheen is the first American-born bishop to be beatified.
Long before podcasts and social media gave religious figures direct access to vast audiences, Sheen drew tens of millions of Americans to their television sets with little more than a chalkboard, a cape and a message about Christianity, morality and the threat of communism. His radio program, «The Catholic Hour,» reached more than 4 million people, according to Vatican News. He later moved to television, where «Life Is Worth Living» eventually captivated an estimated 30 million viewers.
The format was strikingly simple. Wearing clerical robes and standing before a chalkboard, Sheen spoke directly to viewers about faith, morality, suffering and the dignity of the human person, weaving theology with stories and humor. Conservative commentator Michael Knowles said Sheen understood something about mass communication that remains true in the digital age. «He was the very first televangelist,» Knowles told Fox News Digital. «He went where the people were.»
Knowles argued that Sheen could deliver essentially the same message today and immediately find himself branded a «far-right extremist.» He said Sheen would not need to change his message. Asked what would get the bishop «canceled» first in 2026 — his Catholicism, his anti-communism or his refusal to apologize for either — Knowles said the three were difficult to separate. «His absolutely unapologetic apologetics,» he said. Knowles added that Sheen's traditional Catholic teachings about sex, marriage and human nature would draw particularly fierce criticism today. «They would have tried to cancel him,» Knowles said, before adding that Sheen would ultimately have «the last laugh in heaven.»
Sheen's reach extended far beyond a conventional religious audience. The White House noted that he competed with entertainment giants Milton Berle and Frank Sinatra in weekly ratings, appeared on the cover of Time magazine and won an Emmy for outstanding television personality. Among the millions of Americans who encountered Sheen through television was a boy who would eventually become the first American pope. Pope Leo XIV has recalled encountering Sheen's evangelization while growing up, and decades later approved Sheen's beatification in St. Louis.
Sheen's opposition to communism was central to his public ministry and was emphasized by the White House as Americans marked his beatification. The presidential message described Sheen as bringing Christian teaching to a world «threatened by the titanic forces of communism.» The White House also recalled Sheen warning in the 1960s about what he described as a destructive impulse sweeping American society. «Our nation is too full of those that are crying, 'Down,'» Sheen said in remarks shared by the White House, before listing schools, churches, teachers, government and police. «Can you build anything down?»
Knowles said Sheen's warnings continue to resonate because the underlying debate about human nature has not disappeared. He tied the recurring appeal of communist and utopian political movements to the Christian doctrine of original sin, arguing that political systems fail when they begin from a mistaken conception of human nature. «When their policies are implemented, they fail,» Knowles said.
Yet Sheen's journey to beatification ultimately rests not on his television ratings or political commentary, but on the Catholic Church's assessment of his religious life and a miracle attributed to his intercession. His cause for sainthood opened in Peoria, Illinois, in 2002. The miracle accepted for Sheen's beatification centered on a child born in 2010 without a heartbeat or respiration, according to an account published by Vatican News. After 61 minutes, the child was revived and ultimately recovered to full health. Pope Francis approved the miracle in 2019, clearing a major hurdle in Sheen's path toward beatification.
The Catholic Church's recognition of Sheen was not presented merely as a celebration of his TV celebrity. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who represented Pope Leo at the beatification Mass, emphasized Sheen's relationship with Christ and missionary work rather than his fame. In an apostolic letter read during the ceremony, Leo described Sheen as an evangelist who used modern communications to proclaim the Gospel.
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