Shia LaBeouf received into Catholic Church following years-long 'faith journey'
Actor Shia LaBeouf was formally received into the Roman Catholic Church by Bishop Robert Barron upon receiving the sacrament of confirmation last Sunday.
LaBeouf, 37, took part in the sacramental ceremony at Old Mission Santa Inés Parish in Solvang, California, where he studied with Franciscan friars for his role as the titular character in the film "Padre Pio," which the actor claims began his journey to faith, according to Catholic News Agency (CNA).
Shia LaBeouf received into the Catholic Church on Sunday evening. pic.twitter.com/w4szCpjORm
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“We are thrilled to share that our dear friend Shia LaBeouf has fully entered the Church this past weekend through the sacrament of confirmation,” the Capuchin Franciscans-Western American Province said in a Tuesday statement on Facebook. “The Capuchin Franciscan friars are overjoyed to welcome him into the fold and witness his deep commitment to his faith journey.”
Capuchin friar Brother Alexander Rodriguez, who served as the actor's confirmation sponsor, said LaBeouf has intentions of becoming a deacon in the future, according to CNA.
"He just spontaneously said, 'I want to become a deacon,' and he still feels that way," Rodriguez told the outlet.
Barron, who now serves as bishop of the Diocese of Winona–Rochester in Minnesota, befriended LaBeouf while he was auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, a post he held until 2022. The two met while LaBeouf was studying for "Padre Pio" with the friars at Old Mission Santa Inés, which was under Barron's jurisdiction at the time.
Padre Pio, an Italian priest born Francesco Forgione in 1887, was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1999 and later canonized in 2002 following claims that he miraculously exhibited the stigmata — wounds mirroring those of Jesus Christ during the crucifixion. LaBeouf portrayed the saint in a film released in 2022.
During an interview with Barron last summer that spanned nearly 90 minutes, LaBeouf explained how studying Padre Pio's life started the spiritual journey that led him from the brink of suicide to the Catholic faith.
Though he has Jewish heritage and received a bar mitzvah at age 13, LeBeouf said he had fallen into agnosticism before coming to faith.
In the years leading up to his conversion, LaBeouf had repeatedly made headlines for violent, drunken behavior. In 2021, his girlfriend at the time sued him for allegedly abusing her, according to The New York Times.
LaBeouf explained to Barron that despite his worldly success as a Hollywood star, his life had devolved into a "mess," leaving him ridden with "deep shame" that led him to "yearning not to be here anymore." He said he had even become estranged from his mother because of his self-destructive life.
"I had a gun on the table. I was out of here," he said. "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."
"My pain made me willing" to consider God, he said.
Explaining that he took on the role of Padre Pio in an attempt to revitalize his flagging career, LaBeouf said he ultimately realized that "God was using my ego to draw me to Him, drawing me away from worldly desires."
"It was all happening simultaneously," he said. "But there would have been no impetus for me to get in my car, drive up [to the monastery] if I didn't think, 'Oh, I'm going to save my career.'"
As he lived among the friars, who he said showed him "nothing but grace," LaBeouf began searching the Scriptures and reading prominent Catholic authors. He said in reading the Gospels, he came to realize that Jesus Christ was not the weak man he once perceived Him to be, but was instead a masculine figure.
He said the words "let go" kept coming to him while he was studying the Gospels, which he interpreted as God calling him to let go of his ego and "surrender" his heart to Him.
In their statement announcing LaBeouf's confirmation, the Capuchin Franciscans said they "believe in the transformative power of faith and the incredible impact it can have on one’s life."
"We are humbled and grateful to walk alongside Shia as he takes this important step in his spiritual journey," they added.
