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NEW YORK (AP) — Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen is going home.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York said Sunday it'll cooperate in transferring Sheen's remains from Manhattan to Peoria, Illinois, after a court ruled Sheen's niece could bury him there.
Sheen, known for his revolutionary radio and TV preaching, has been interred under St. Patrick's Cathedral's altar since his 1979 death.
Sheen's niece, Joan Cunningham, argued that burying him in Peoria, where he was ordained 100 years ago, would improve his chances at sainthood.
The archdiocese countered that a will Sheen signed five days before his death included his desire to be buried in New York. The archdiocese said it had a "solemn obligation" to comply.
The Catholic Diocese of Peoria said that Bishop Daniel Jenky was "grateful" the archdiocese has now agreed to move Sheen's remains.
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