Msgr. Franco had said that Sheen told him he wanted to be buried in New York and that Cardinal Cooke had offered him a space in the crypt of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
The appeals court ordered "a full exploration" of the archbishop's desires.
In June 2018, the Superior Court of New York ruled in favor of Cunningham's request that Sheen's body be moved to Peoria. The Archdiocese of New York then announced that the Trustees of St. Patrick's Cathedral were appealing the decision.
Now, a New York appellate court has again sided with Cunningham, ruling 5-0 that Peoria may have the body. The court found that Sheen lived his life with heaven and sainthood as his ultimate goals, which should be considered in the present dispute.
The Diocese of Peoria voiced hope that the beatification efforts for Sheen may now move forward, with Sheen's body in Peoria. In a March statement, the diocese said that the courts have had ample opportunity to consider the arguments raised by New York, but have ultimately found them unavailing.
Both the Diocese of Peoria and the Archdiocese of New York have repeatedly voiced prayers that the beatification cause may move forward in a timely manner.
Archbishop Sheen's intercession is credited with the miraculous recovery of a pronounced stillborn American baby from the Peoria area. In June 2014, a panel of theologians that advises the Congregation for the Causes of Saints ruled that the baby's recovery was miraculous – a key step necessary before someone is beatified.
The baby, later named James Fulton Engstrom, was born in September 2010 showing no signs of life. As medical professionals tried to revive him, his parents prayed for his recovery through the intercession of Fulton Sheen.
Although the baby showed no pulse for an hour after his birth, his heart started beating again and he escaped serious medical problems.