Actor Shia LaBeouf revealed that he converted to Catholicism while starring in the role of St. Padre Pio, revealing that the Tridentine Mass was one of the reasons he converted. LaBeouf was raised Jewish but was never really committed to the faith.
Christian Post reports:
The actor is gearing up for the Sept. 9 release of his latest film, “Padre Pio,” where he stars in the role of the beloved Franciscan Capuchin friar. LaBeouf will play Padre Pio, an Italian saint who lived in the 20th century, and his role will center around the saint’s young life, according to Internet Movie Database.
In a recent interview with Bishop Robert Barron of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, LaBeouf recounts his journey to Christianity following a really dark season in his life. He described his life as a “mess” and that he didn’t want to be an actor anymore because he felt “deep shame.” He said he had a “yearning not to be here anymore.”
“I had a gun on the table. I was out of here. I didn’t want to be alive anymore when all this happened, shame like I had never experienced before — the kind of shame that you forget how to breathe, you don’t know where to go. You can’t go outside and get, like, a taco. But I was also in this deep desire to hold on,” he said.
LaBeouf’s decision to take the role of Padre Pio was his attempt to rebuild his career. But after living for a while at a monastery to prepare for the role, his own life was significantly impacted.
Church Pop further reports:
LaBeouf also reveals his experience with the Rosary, the Eucharist, reading St. Augustine’s Confessions, studying the Traditional Latin Mass, and the peace he found after reconciling with his mother.