I still remember my grandmother spending many evenings glued to re-runs of Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s show Life is Worth Living. Her fondness for him introduced me to his gravitas and eloquence. Even decades after originally delivered, his preaching felt strikingly brave and clear, even if generations, oceans, and history separated us.
You might interpret the draw we felt in Manila as a colonial remnant. Or you might interpret it as a sign of something deeper: that His faith went beyond his nationality. The universal appeal of his voice is evidence that the creed he proclaimed speaks to every age and nation.
I felt similar feelings of awe later, while listening to another bishop preach on screen. This was 20 years after those evenings in my grandmother’s bedroom. This time, the bishop looked more like my relatives. He was shorter and more expressive. He didn't restrain his smiles or tears in public. Yet his words carried the same evangelical force as Archbishop Sheen’s. If measured by impact, one might even call him a second Bishop Sheen.
Many Catholics welcomed the long-awaited news of Archbishop Sheen’s beatification date. Some of us might have expected that this moment would draw our US pope back to his homeland. So when Pope Leo announced that Cardinal Tagle would represent him this September, American Catholics might have received that news with some disappointment, and speculation. Was this a departure from precedent? (It's not.) Was the Holy Father subtly critiquing a certain American worldview? (There are many factors that influence a pope going back home; for example, Francis never made it to Argentina.)
History offers a less controversial explanation: In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI decreed that beatifications should generally take place in the homelands of the Blessed, and would often be presided over by someone other than the pope.
So Pope Leo was likely going to choose someone other than himself to celebrate the beatification, and the choice of Cardinal Tagle can appear deliberate.
Parallels
The parallels between him and Archbishop Sheen are striking. Both are gifted preachers who brought the Gospel to mass audiences. Both embody a disarming simplicity.
Archbishop Sheen’s contribution to the Church’s mission went beyond his gifted preaching. From 1950 to 1966, he was the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Aid Societies. In this role, he raised millions of dollars for the missions – a fund that included revenue from his Emmy-awarded television show.
The bishop was aware that most of his donors were not wealthy, but everyday US Catholics who wanted more people to know and love Jesus Christ, and so, shared what resources they could. In this way, he built a bridge between his country and less privileged ones. This link is testament to the generosity of US Catholics and continues until today.
Cardinal Tagle’s advocacy for migrants may also be significant. He has long championed their dignity, shaped in part by his many personal encounters with Filipinos working abroad and with non-Filipino migrants when he led Caritas International. Whether or not this influenced Pope Leo’s decision, the symbolism is hard to miss, given how many US bishops and priests have raised concerns about the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Still, beyond strategy or speculation, there is something unequivocal. For Filipinos, it is an honor to have Cardinal Tagle represent the Holy Father at Archbishop Sheen’s beatification.
And maybe, this honor holds an even deeper significance. ..
Archbishop Sheen’s life transcends culture and time. His work in media, as fruitful as it was, was but a small part of a larger mission – the mission Jesus entrusted to His Church. This is the same call extended to every baptized believer, including the millions of Filipinos who now work and live away from home.
[This article was updated after original publication.]
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