Bones of contention: Catholic dioceses fight over Archbishop Sheen’s body

[hrmjustin]

David Gibson

NEW YORK (RNS) In life, Archbishop Fulton Sheen was exceptional, a riveting Catholic preacher on radio who outpolled star comedian Milton Berle in the early days of television, winning two Emmys and a following that was the envy of Bible-thumping Protestants.

After his death in 1979, it was no surprise that Sheen would be pushed for sainthood. But now two bishops have clashed in an unusual public dispute over who holds claim to Sheen’s body: the Archdiocese of New York, where he is buried, or the Diocese of Peoria, where he was raised and ordained.

The fight between Illinois Bishop Daniel Jenky and Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York erupted into public view on Wednesday (Sept. 3), when Jenky issued a statement blasting the New York archdiocese for thwarting Sheen’s expected beatification next year by reneging on an agreement to return the late archbishop’s body to Peoria.

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/09/04/bones-contention-catholic-dioceses-fight-archbishop-sheens-body/

[ColesCountyDem]

1. Grotesque!

Ugh!

[okasha]

2. Unseemly.

[goldent]

3. Strange!

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

4. I have a solution

After Sheen retired, he was appointed Titular Archbishop of Newport in Wales, so send his body there for re-burial.

On a related note, there are two Spanish cousins, Carlos, Duke of Calabria and Carlo, Duke of Castro, who each claim to be the King of the Two Sicilies. If you want to know the ins and outs of each claim, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Sicilies for a write-up. I suggest that they should meet, each select one Sicily (perhaps by tossing a coin), and claim the kingship of only that one.