In a world run by free-thinking creatives and people with secular, progressive values, those who hew to more traditional, conservative Christian beliefs tend to be less visible.

But Mark Wahlberg has no problem being vocal about his Catholic faith, which must be refreshing to the approximately 61 million Catholics in America.

Striking a balance

Wahlberg spoke about the balance he has to strike between his private and professional life on the Today show on February 22, also known as Ash Wednesday to Christians.

The "Boogie Nights" actor wore an ash cross on his forehead to commemorate the holy day.

"It's a balance," the 51-year-old actor said.

"I don't want to jam it down anybody's throat, but I do not deny my faith. That's an even bigger sin.

"You know, it's not popular in my industry, but I cannot deny my faith. It's important for me to share that with people.

"But, I have friends from all walks of life and all different types of faiths and religions, so it's important to respect and honour them as well."

Leading through example

He also believes in leading through his example instead of pressuring his four children to follow his faith.

"I don't force it on them," he said.

"But they know that Dad can't start the day without being in prayer, can't start the day without reading my Scripture or going to Mass.

"And hopefully, instead of forcing that on them, they'll say, ‘Well, if it works for Dad, maybe it'll work for us,' and they'll kind of gravitate towards it on their own."

Wahlberg can keep his faith strong while dealing with the pressures of Hollywood thanks to his relationship with Father Flavin, a parish priest who helped him make drastic changes in his life. Read more

• Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg, formerly known by his stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor. His work as a leading man spans the comedy, drama, and action genres.

From the 1930s, Catholics were prominent in Hollywood, whether actors such as Spencer Tracy and James Cagney or directors like John Ford and Leo McCarey.

Producers turned to Catholic actors to perform what was judged to be the difficult and delicate role of a priest.

Thus Bing Crosby played in Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St Mary's (1945), and Gregory Peck in The Keys to the Kingdom (1944).

The individual characters may have varied, but the portrayal of the priest remained constant: an image of conviction and steadfastness, compassion and courage, and maturity of judgment.

More recent decades have given rise to different images. In the 1970s, priests began to be cast in an unfavourable light - for example, Saturday Night Fever (1977) and The Exorcist series (1973 and 1977).

They were depicted as insipid, immature and, at times, embittered men. In Saturday Night Fever, the young priest leaves his vocation.

In the last scene, his brother (played by John Travolta) tries on the clerical collar, only to hold it tightly round his neck in the form of a noose.

This demeaning image of the priesthood resulted from a convergence of factors.

They included anti-Catholic prejudice, which intensified as a result of the Church's stand on "life" issues such as abortion; the clerical abuse scandals, which have damaged the Church's moral credibility in the wider society and, perversely, in the very areas of sexual morality that were already under cultural attack; and, finally, a general decline of heroic and admirable characters (of which the priest was formerly one), especially affecting male figures in the family and society.

More recently, there has been some recovery of the image of the priest, in movies such as Gran Torino (2008), where a loving cleric reaches out to a troubled war veteran (Clint Eastwood), and For Greater Glory (2012), which features Peter O'Toole as a kindly martyr priest. Continue reading

Sources

• Catholic Herald article by Karl Schmude, a former university librarian and a founding fellow of the Catholic liberal arts college Campion College, in New South Wales.
• Image: cinemagumbo

With Oscar season upon us, here's a look at some famous Hollywood Catholic churches, where stars and their fans pray side by side. Continue reading

According to an article in the Hollywood Reporter, Pope Francis is "apparently" interested in discussing how the Church is perceived by western media influencers.

The Pope also reportedly wants to explore ways in which the Church's portrayal in popular entertainment can be improved.

These reasons have been denied by some of those reportedly involved.

The meeting is believed to be in the northern autumn.

The Vatican, which is said to be working with the non-profit Varkey Foundation, came up with a list of Hollywood players to invite this gathering.

Other "names" reportedly on the invitee shortlist include "super agent" Ari Emanuel, film and television producer Brian Grazer, and magnate David Geffen.

A Varkey Foundation spokesman said the foundation "has been in discussions with representatives of the Vatican about a potential meeting examining the role of media on the values of young people throughout the world".

But the spokesman added that "the meeting under consideration is emphatically not a discussion about the reputation of the Catholic Church and never has been".

"Recent media speculation about the purpose and possible participants of such a meeting is inaccurate and premature," he said.

Earlier this year, Pope Francis told an Argentine newspaper that he hadn't watched TV since 1990, after making a promise to the Virgin Mary.

"I told myself: 'It's not for me'," Francis said.

The Pope said that he doesn't surf the internet either, and reads only one newspaper for ten minutes in the morning.

Sources

• Hollywood Reporter
• Daily Mail
• Image: Oprah.com