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PEORIA — Efforts to canonize Archbishop Fulton Sheen have been suspended indefinitely, the Catholic Diocese of Peoria announced Wednesday afternoon.

In a statement, the diocese said that the process leading to beatification and canonization was being halted, despite having been moving smoothly up until now.

In fact, expectations were for a beatification ceremony as soon as next year, following only a vote by the College of Cardinals and approval by Pope Francis after a 12-year-long effort by the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation headed by Bishop Daniel Jenky.

However, apparently the Archdiocese of New York denied Jenky’s request to move Sheen’s remains to Peoria for the process of official inspection and to take first class relics from the remains.

“After further discussion with Rome, it was decided that the Sheen cause would now have to be relegated to the Congregation’s historic archive,” the diocese said in a statement thanking supporters for the donations of time and money they have made to the cause.

The statement also notes that Jenky had been “personally assured” repeatedly that the transfer of Sheen’s remains would take place, and that the change of mind only occurred after the canonization effort “had reached a significant stage.”

Cautioning that similar efforts have taken decades or centuries, Jenky urged in the statement that supporters should “continue their prayers that God’s will be made manifest.”

The Cancellation of the Sheen sainthood process by Journal Star