Mark Wahlberg Sparked Controversy Defending His Faith as He Calls Denying It ‘a Sin’

Mark Wahlberg and his brothers had a difficult childhood, filled with mischievous behavior. Yet as they got older, they realized the error of their ways and turned to faith to change their lives.

Now, the Wahlberg brothers have all built beautiful families and remain steadfast in their faith as the reason they are so successful. Recently, Mark Wahlberg shared a firm opinion about his faith.

Ash Wednesday was celebrated in February of 2023, and Wahlberg, a devout catholic, did an interview with the black cross on his forehead, showing he celebrated the holy day, too.

In the interview, the actor said he knew his religion wasn’t popular in Hollywood, but he couldn’t pretend it wasn’t because it would be a sin to him to deny his faith in his career.

While he says his religion has changed his life and allowed him to be the best version of himself, but he has to “balance” it as he does not want to “jam it down anybody’s throat.” He is happy to devote his life to faith without asking anyone else to do so.

Wahlberg received the black cross on his forehead, which signifies repentance on the day that marks 40 days of lent. Ash Wednesday is a day of praying and fasting for those participating.

The actor said that while he knows there are not many people in Hollywood who share his religion, it is essential for him to ensure that people know he is Catholic and that his family is too.

His son, Michael, even had his confirmation in July 2022. Confirmation is a rite of passage in which a Catholic person reaffirms their faith. The first rite of passage is being baptized.

After Wahlberg’s interview was posted on Facebook, fans immediately began sharing their views. Many of the comments praised Wahlberg for sharing his faith with his fans, while others were not charmed by the fact.

One woman said she loved the actor and urged him to keep sharing his faith and not worry about what others thought when he did so. Another user extended blessings to Wahlberg and his family.

A user said they had “so much respect” for Wahberg sharing his faith in an industry that did not necessarily accept it and being so brave as to share it with the world, too.

A user acknowledged that while Wahlberg had made mistakes in the past, he was actively working toward becoming a better person before extending blessings to the actor. However, there were condescending comments, too.

One user said they missed when a person’s faith was kept private and personal. Another wondered who cared what religion Wahlberg followed as they had never thought about a person’s religion.

Another user asked if anyone had ever asked him what religion he followed because they had never wondered whether or not “Marky Mark,” as Wahlberg was once known, was religious.

Wahlberg might have had a wonderful and successful life now, but this was not always the case for him and his siblings. Wahlberg grew up in a low-income family of nine children in Boston. However, he later discovered he had more siblings as his father had extramarital affairs.

The actor, who is actually one of twelve children, grew up sharing a bedroom with five of his brothers. He and his brothers were all involved in crime from a young age, which was never a problem for their parents.

In fact, when his brother was sent to a youth facility after being caught doing a crime, the family was excited they received free sneakers. Nike and Converse donated defective shoes to the facility, and Wahlberg’s brother passed them on to his family. Wahlberg reflected:

“They’d be four sizes too big, but we were actually happy my brother was locked up because we would get free sneakers.”

Because of his troubled childhood, Wahlberg started experimenting with drugs at a young age. His parents were going through a divorce, which Wahlberg found particularly difficult, but his mother could not help him as she was hurting, too.

By the age of 12, Wahlberg had turned to other sources to deal with his pain. He would climb out of his window and stay away from home all night. By 14, he had stopped going to school, and even before that, he had dabbled in drugs.

However, Wahlberg soon realized he could not continue living life in this way and turned to faith to help him make it out of the dire situation he was in and turn his life around for the better.

Talking about how he has kept his faith intact all these years, especially in an industry that makes it difficult, Wahlberg said:

“I spend a good portion of my day thanking God for all the blessings that have been bestowed on me. If it all ended today, I’d be happy. I’ve had such an amazing journey.”

Wahlberg has also said that he does not force his children into faith but hopes that if they see that it makes him happy, they will want to pursue the same path. He shared his feelings about how he spends his days in terms of religion.

The actor shared that he cannot start the day without reading Scripture or going to Mass and definitely not without praying. He said his children saw him do that each day, and he hoped they would follow suit.

In April 2021, Wahlberg’s mother, Alma, passed away at 78 after suffering from Dementia. Although Wahlberg knew her death was inevitable as she was old and suffering, he was still heartbroken by her passing.

Wahlberg talked about what his mother meant to him and how their relationship had turned around after he found his faith. The actor shared:

“The first phone call I made every single day for the last ten years was to my mom. And I don’t get to make that call anymore. And it’s heartbreaking.”

Wahlberg was filming a movie called “Father Stu” when his mother died. The movie centers around a boxer-turned-priest who died at 50 of an incurable and degenerative muscular disorder.

While Wahlberg lost his beloved mother during filming, he still considered the film one of the best he has ever done because he says it has the substance some of his other films have lacked.

The actor said he wanted to continue making movies centered around making a difference in people’s lives. He also mentioned that since his mother’s death, he and his siblings have become much closer, which his mother would have been proud of.