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In August 2022, when “Transformers” star Shia LaBeouf revealed during a conversation with Bishop Robert Barron that he had experienced a conversion and begun to attend Mass, I wrote that LaBeouf seemed to me to have undergone a genuine change of heart. He spoke regretfully of the pain and harm he had caused in his life.
And more moving still was his testimony about the way that playing Padre Pio in a recent film affected him. “Pio … saved my life, this is not just a movie or something, and I don’t mean that lightly,” LaBeouf told Bishop Barron. LaBeouf later told OSV News that he “fell in love with Christ” as part of his preparation for the role.
Many scorned that conversation, and not altogether unreasonably. A 2020 lawsuit by his former partner, British musician FKA Twigs, accuses LaBeouf of physical, mental and emotional abuse.
Knowing his past, social media users doubted LaBeouf’s authenticity, even challenging the possibility of a spiritual change of heart altogether. And last August, in the middle of all this discourse, I wrote: “I’d rather believe in the power of conversion and the healing grace of the Holy Spirit than live under the tyranny of constant cynicism and suspicion.”
Continued below.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
And more moving still was his testimony about the way that playing Padre Pio in a recent film affected him. “Pio … saved my life, this is not just a movie or something, and I don’t mean that lightly,” LaBeouf told Bishop Barron. LaBeouf later told OSV News that he “fell in love with Christ” as part of his preparation for the role.
Many scorned that conversation, and not altogether unreasonably. A 2020 lawsuit by his former partner, British musician FKA Twigs, accuses LaBeouf of physical, mental and emotional abuse.
Knowing his past, social media users doubted LaBeouf’s authenticity, even challenging the possibility of a spiritual change of heart altogether. And last August, in the middle of all this discourse, I wrote: “I’d rather believe in the power of conversion and the healing grace of the Holy Spirit than live under the tyranny of constant cynicism and suspicion.”
Continued below.
The LaBeouf conversion: A time to rejoice in movements of grace
LaBeouf’s story encourages us to reflect on our role in supporting converts. Are we, as a community, prepared to welcome them with open arms? Do we offer guidance, understanding and the companionship they need as they navigate this life-changing journey?
www.oursundayvisitor.com
