Shia LaBeouf ditches acting career to become a Catholic deacon instead
Shia LaBeouf wrapped up 2023 with a surprise entrance into the spiritual arena as it was recently revealed that the actor is embracing the Roman Catholic Church. Picture this: New Year’s Eve, a friary in Solvang, California, and celebrity bishop Robert Barron steal the show as he celebrates LaBeouf’s confirmation, marking a noteworthy conversion for the actor who had previously identified as agnostic for the majority of his life.
LaBeouf, who is most known for his movie roles and the extensive assault and abuse allegations served to him by former partner FKA twigs, has seemingly decided to prioritise his faith moving into 2024. Yep, the actor seems to have found solace in Catholicism…Oh, but did we mention this divine revelation occurred while he was prepping for the 2022 movie Padre Pio, in which LaBeouf played the famous Italian mystic priest?
But, wait, the surprises don’t stop there. The friar who ushered LaBeouf into the Catholic journey, spilt the holy tea that the actor also aspires to become a deacon—from Greek diakonos, ‘helper’, a member of the lowest rank of the threefold Christian ministry—“sometime in the future.”
What does this commitment entail, you might be thinking? Well, a deacon isn’t your run-of-the-mill church helper. It has a significant role in the Catholic hierarchy, with certain obligations and a serious lifestyle commitment. However, it doesn’t look like LaBeouf will be hanging up his Hollywood hat yet either. Deacons play a bridge-like role between clergy and laity, maintaining a service-oriented position within the church while staying part of the regular population.
What’s the process? LaBeouf would have to embark on a years-long journey involving meetings, classes, and intense training. If he makes it through this ecclesiastical obstacle course, he’d be ordained, take a vow of obedience to his bishop, and sign a ministry agreement committing to specific monthly hours. But, that’s not all, the actor’s wife, fellow star Mia Goth, would also have to sign off on this spiritual adventure too.
Can Hollywood and holy orders coexist in LaBeouf’s world? Only time will tell if this is the actor’s next avant-garde career move or just another chapter in his unpredictable journey through life.
