Pope Leo pays tribute to US televangelist ahead of his beatification

• Pope Leo XIV has paid tribute to popular American televangelist Archbishop Fulton Sheen ahead of his beatification in St Louis, Missouri.
• The pontiff encouraged believers to draw inspiration from Sheen's legacy to find new ways of spreading the Gospel with joyful enthusiasm.
• Sheen, who died in 1979, pioneered televangelism in the 1950s with his television series Life is Worth Living, reaching millions of viewers.
• Pope Leo XIV revealed that Sheen's broadcasts helped shape his own family's religious life while growing up in Illinois.
• The beatification was delayed in 2019 to review Sheen's conduct regarding priest abuse allegations, but a Vatican inquiry cleared him of any misconduct.

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American-born Pope Leo praises US radio and TV preacher on eve of his beatification