Mark Wahlberg says that it is ‘a sin’ to deny his faith as he discusses practising his religion.
Wahlberg, 52, is one of the biggest actors in the film industry, with an estimated net worth of $400 million.
The Ted star is also known for his disciplined lifestyle, which involves getting up at 2:30am every day and completing his first workout of the day by 5:30am.
He is also a devout Catholic and always makes sure to find time to pray.
Wahlberg has opened up further about his religious beliefs in a recent interview.
Appearing on The Today Show on Ash Wednesday – the first day of the Lent calendar – Wahlberg is sporting an ash cross on his forehead.
The Daddy’s Home star goes on to speak about his religious beliefs and how they’ve impacted him as a person.
“It’s a balance,” he tells co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. “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.”
Despite his strong beliefs, Wahlberg clarifies that he doesn’t ‘want to jam it [Catholicism] down anybody’s throat’, adding: “That’s an even bigger sin.”
He explains that his children aren’t forced to follow Catholicism just because he does.
But he does say that they are made to respect his beliefs.
The Patriots Day actor continues: “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.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Wahlberg discusses the concept of fasting for Lent – which is when you give something up for 40 days – by saying that there are ‘different elements to fasting’ and ‘it shouldn’t just be food‘.
He continues: “God knows the things that he wants you to detach from.
“We all know those things that make us feel guilty, don’t make us feel as good as we should.
“So [it’s about] being able to detach from those things and focus on good habits as opposed to bad habits.
“There are challenges for fasting, like today, I won’t have any meat. I’ll have one meal today, and I’ll do that every Friday throughout Lent and Good Friday.”
The interviewer then tells the Transformers actor that she has taken up fasting for the first time this year, and has also given up Instagram for Lent.
However, she got her dates mixed up and actually started Lent a week early.
