Shia LaBeouf Hopes to Become a Deacon Following His Confirmation
By Movieguide® Contributor
Shia LaBeouf is reportedly hoping to become a deacon following his confirmation in the Catholic church.
“We are thrilled to share that our dear friend Shia LaBeouf has fully entered the Church this past weekend through the sacrament of confirmation,” a post on the Capuchin Franciscans-Western American Province’s Facebook page reads.
The post continued, “His decision to fully enter the Church is a testament to his sincere desire to grow in his relationship with God and live out the Gospel values. As Capuchin Franciscans, we 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.”
“He started crying a lot after receiving communion,” Brother Alexander Rodriguez, LaBeouf’s confirmation sponsor, said. “It was very moving.”
Rodriguez revealed that the actor wants to become a deacon “sometime in the future” — an interest sparked during the filming of LaBeouf’s 2022 movie PADRE PIO.
“He just spontaneously said, ‘I want to become a deacon,’ and he still feels that way,” Rodriguez said via Fox News.
“Just as Padre Pio went through his own difficulties that you see in the film which are connected to or are part of his personal letters, (that’s where we got the information)– Shia himself, though he’s now fully Catholic, also shows that in his personal life, his own on difficulties—he’s shouldn’t be seen as a perfect figure, but as a sinner wanting to be holy,” Brother Rodriguez added.
LaBeouf has previously spoken about his intent to convert to Catholicism, telling Bishop Robert Barron in an episode of CONVERSATIONS AT THE CROSSROADS, “At that time when I was reading [the Gospel], I was holding on so tight to a life that was slipping away through my hands to a 35 years of management. The Gospel gave me this invite to just let go.”
Movieguide® previously reported on how LaBeouf’s role in PADRE PIO strengthened his faith:
Actor Shia LaBeouf says he’s drawing closer to Christ following his role in the movie PADRE PIO.
As filming drew closer, God began to tug on on LaBeouf’s heart. LaBeouf resisted, at first.
“I know now that God was using my ego to draw me to Him. Drawing me away from worldly desires,” LaBeouf said. “It was all happening simultaneously. 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 gonna save my career.’”
Then, the actor says he began to see the heart of Christ.
“It was seeing other people who have sinned beyond anything I could ever conceptualize also being found in Christ that made me feel like, ‘Oh, that gives me hope,’” LaBeouf said. “I started hearing experiences of other depraved people who had found their way in this, and it made me feel like I had permission.”
