Future Saint Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

The Catholicism of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

The 20th century produced probably the most recognizable and influential Catholic in America,  Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.  He was called America’s bishop.  A gifted communicator,  popular from the 1950s through the 70s, especially on radio and TV, he was also the author of 17 books.

In 1934, in a private audience with Pope Pius XI, he asked then Monsignor Fulton J. Sheen to study Karl Marx and  communism to warn America of its dangers.  And so, the topics of Marx, Lenin, Stalin, the Bolsheviks and communism was the core element  of his message and outreach.  Nothing can stop it but Christianity and the brotherhood of Christ,  and I would add not the comradeship within the party nor the ‘warmth of collectivism’.  Because of this expertise, Archbishop Sheen was frequently consulted by President Reagan and Pope John Paul II. 

You might have heard that the Catholic Church has begun the beatification and canonization process for Archbishop Sheen.  In his writings and talks,  he  was quite analytical, integrating the understanding of the mysteries of Christianity on all modern issues of morality, philosophy, religion and society.  Archbishop Sheen gifted American viewers with their own college education on faith and society.    

Topics included heaven and hell, the Body of Christ, society and politics, sacraments and sin, and his own form of psychology.  Here are but a few examples of his unique approach from the many volumes of speeches and writings.

Why was there this modern disbelief in the devil and hell?  Well, it was due to the common disbelief in true freedom and responsibility along with the consequences of choice.  As a result, so much stress we experience; ie. worries, fears, woes, was the hell already  within people.  Essentially hell was the absence of God, the turning away from God toward worldly things.  Sin enters so easily because of it.  Heaven can actually be right close by, a place on earth.  The Catholic Mass is a little bit of heaven.

The body of Christ is not an institution nor an administrative body, but rather the people of God and a mystical body.  God loves humanity and man, we are His peculiar possession.  We are united by His body and blood, given to us through the Eucharist.  Through communion we become a new people of God, a prolongation of his incarnation.  Then the body is to grow like a cell, expanding outward coming from His spirit.  We are all in this together with regard to the Body of Christ.  Society grows, the Body of Christ with all its functioning members grows.

Archbishop Sheen opposed authoritarianism of all kinds.  The ultimate authoritarian was Satan.  In explaining the temptations of Christ, He illustrated political, social and economic ramifications while all the while being  a spiritual revolutionary.  “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”  This is but socialism or communism.  He replies, “Man does not live by bread alone.”  It is not a welfare economy but spiritual regeneration that is needed.  “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down” thus asking Him to create miracle to save Himself.  Such was also the exortation of one popular Democrat congresswoman, Bella Abzug during a TV interview, to get beyond the Cross in our thinking.  She knew better.  We are saved not by miracles but by the Blood of Christ is His response.  Via the Cross is the only way to salvation.  Thirdly, “All these things I give you if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.”  But His reply is political, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shall you serve,”  and  certainly not any other political power; ie. the United Nations, the Global Reset, the prevailing socio-economic ideologies.

Secular social science asserts the bio/psycho/social assessment of life.   Archbishop Sheen maintains the sacraments as essential to infusing His divine life into our souls.  The church will take care of us from the cradle to the grave.  We begin our spiritual life through baptism, form maturity and responsibility through confirmation, align our life with God through communion, journey back to God through confession, eternity and fidelity through marriage, healed through sacraments for the sick, take the Lord with us at death, and ambassadors of Christ through Holy Orders.

The psychology of Archbishop Sheen is multifaceted, but allow me to focus on his perspective on identity.   Our personal responsibility for our future is to seek true identity.  Do we exist with masks and no faces?  Are we not real to ourselves by expressing only reality and not truth?  Is how we appear to others not the way we feel inside?  What is our real identity?  Truth allows us to get rid of shame, and the once unacceptable self becomes acceptable to God.   We must admit our true self.  When teaching an acting/theater class at a local college, one requirement was to present a monologue from a famous play.  My stuttering, southern accent, minority student of lower socio-economic origins chose a smart, intelligent, sophisticated, leading man type  character to present to the class.  We freaked when he got on stage.  It was flawless  No accent, no stuttering, authentically portrayed and quite excellent.  Who is the real true self in this case?  Do we represent truth of self in our social interactions? 

Our soon to be saint from a small Midwestern town in Illinois, was quite the prolific communicator. He was a man focusing on personal and social reality while reinforcing a Catholic belief system toward his viewers. The hope was the emotional and behavioral consequences of our beliefs and thoughts within and upon a society at odds with our personal and church mission.  

Available for public speaking on this or other topics. See

www.michaelbaglino.com/speaker 

Source:

Baglino, Michael J.  The Dr. B. Reader on the Ologies. New York:  LT, 2023.

Kengor, Paul.  A Pope and a President.  Wilmington, Del.: ISI  Books, 2017.

Sheen, Fulton J.  The Life of Christ. New York:  Doubleday, 1958.

                         Your Life is Worth Living.  New York:  Crown, 2019.

                         The Wisdom of Fulton J. Sheen.  No. Palm Beach:  Blue Sparrow, 2020.