Devout Catholic and actor, Mark Wahlberg speaks about his faith as he celebrates the start of Lent

Devout Catholic and Hollywood actor,  Mark Wahlberg believes that the catholic faith is 'not popular' in Hollywood but he cannot deny his religion because that would be 'an even bigger sin' as he celebrated the start of Lent.

The Ted actor, 51, said he has always talked about his faith but he added 'he doesn't want to jam it down anybody's throat'.

Wahlberg said Catholicism had allowed him to focus on being a 'better version of himself' as he appeared on the Today Show on Ash Wednesday, which starts 40 days of Lent.

 

Appearing on the show with a black cross on his forehead - Christian devotees receive repentance ash in the form of the cross on Ash Wednesday, a holy day of praying and fasting.

'I have always talked about my faith,' Wahlberg told the Today Show. 'It's a balance. I don't wanna 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, you know, I cannot deny my faith. It's important for me to share that with people.'

Speaking about what his faith means to him, Wahlberg said: 'It's everything, it's afforded me so many things.

'God didn't come to save the saints, he came to save the sinners. We've all had issues in our lives and we want to be better versions of ourselves, and through focusing on my faith, it's allowed me to do that.'

Wahlberg's family are Catholic, which his son Michael attending his confirmation in July last year. Michael wore a white button-down shirt with a gray tie and matching gray slacks at the time.

Confirmation is one of the seven Catholic sacraments. It is a rite where Catholics reaffirm their faith in the religion they first joined after being baptized.

 

The Uncharted actor shares four children with Rhea Durham: Michael, 18-year-old Ella, 13-year-old Brendan and 12-year-old Grace.

Ash Wednesday is a Christian holy day of praying and fasting as devotees receive repentance ash in the form of a cross on their foreheads to either the words 'Repent, and believe in the Gospel' or the dictum 'Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.'