Fulton John Sheen (May 8, 1895 - December 9, 1979) was an American archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. His cause for canonization for sainthood was officially opened in 2002. In June 2012, Pope Benedict XVI officially recognized a decree from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints stating that he lived a life of "heroic virtues" - so he is now referred to as "Venerable". On July 6, 2019, Pope Francis recently approved the miracle related to his cause, opening the way to beatification.