Robert Barron, Catholic bishop and founder of Word on Fire, reflects on Fulton Sheen’s life and legacy. He discusses Sheen’s theology of the Church and grace. Barron explores Sheen’s gifts as a communicator, his use of media, and how his approach informs modern evangelization and social media strategy.
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Miracle That Led To Beatification
The miracle linked to Sheen's beatification involved a baby declared dead who revived after a priest placed a Sheen relic and prayed.
Doctors expected severe impairment, but the child named Fulton grew up healthy, forming the verified miracle for beatification.
insights INSIGHT
Church As Living Mystical Body
The church is primarily an organism not an organization, a living mystical body animated by Christ and the Spirit.
Fulton Sheen framed members as interdependent organs, arguing social justice follows because harm to one is harm to the whole.
insights INSIGHT
Church As Prolonged Incarnation
Sheen called the church a prolongation of the incarnation: Christ uses the church to continue his presence in the world.
Barron ties this to sacraments, liturgy, Eucharist and works of mercy as ways Christ remains present.
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Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show. I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show. Thank you for joining us. The faithful recently rejoiced at the news that Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the great American evangelist who lived from 1895 to 1979, has moved forward in the canonization process. The Vatican recently announced that he will soon be beatified, which is one step away from being declared a saint. This is an especially happy development for Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, which, as an apostolate dedicated to evangelization, has a special devotion to Archbishop Sheen; in fact, his portrait hangs just beyond the studio doors where we are recording this show, next to our other patrons, St. Thérèse of Lisieux and Pope St. John Paul II. Looking back, what kind of enduring impact has Fulton Sheen had on evangelization and the Church? Looking forward, what can we continue to learn from him today, especially given the fact that the evangelical landscape has so drastically changed, both culturally and technologically, since Sheen's time? Here to celebrate Sheen's legacy, and how the great communicator continues to shape Word on Fire's own evangelical mission, is Bishop Robert Barron.
Topics Covered
00:00 | Introduction 01:22 | Winona-Rochester's confirmation season 02:19 | What is beatification? 04:44 | Who was Fulton Sheen? 07:15 | Sheen's theology of the Church as mystical body of Christ 11:38 | Sheen's theology of grace 15:10 | The quiet influence of Fulton Sheen in Bishop Barron's life 20:44 | The Pivotal Players: Fulton Sheen 21:59 | Examining Sheen's universal appeal 26:22 | Fulton Sheen and social media 29:49 | Word on Fire and Fulton Sheen 30:20 | Listener question: How do I best use social media to evangelize? 32:23 | Join the Word on Fire Institute
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