Russell Crowe, who is 43, says he’s planning to be baptized. “I’d like to do it this year,” the Oscar-winning actor tells Men’s Journal. “My mom and dad decided to let my brother and me make our own decisions about God when we got to the right age. I started thinking recently, `If I believe it is important to baptize my kids, why not me?”’
Crowe says the baptism will take place in the Byzantine chapel he built at his country ranch in Australia for his wedding to Danielle Spencer in 2003. The couple have two sons, 3-year-old Charlie and 1-year-old Tennyson.
Maybe it’s just the ignorance of the Guardian reporter, but there is no mention of what church he is being baptised into or what his church practice is.
Or did I miss something?
Well, a Byzantine chapel … *sounds* like it’s Orthodox. I’d be interested in knowing too. Might be Anglican, since he’s an Australian. Can’t imagine a Baptists building a Byzantine chapel and having it “consecrated and everything.”
I’m glad to hear he’s taking this step, though. I’ve always liked Russell Crowe’s work, but I know he had an affair with–Meg Ryan, was it? While she was married to someone else. Sounds like he’s given up on that sort of stuff.
Welcome to the family, Mr. Crowe.
Crowe is actually a Kiwi not an Australian. Also Crowe spelled with an “e” tends, in my experience, to be an Irish surname, so he’s probably from an RC background.
Hmm. Since he’s described in the article as an ‘Aussie,’ I assumed that meant he was Australian. Is there a difference?
I think there’s a high probability that “Byzantine” means “Eastern Rite Catholic” here. Eastern Orthodox say Orthodox.
Anglicanum,
May God preserve you from the wrath of the inhabitants of both the West Island and the Tenth State for your last remark.
I’m glad to read this. I’ve always like his work very much. Let’s pray that the Lord will use this sacrament to begin a good work in Russell Crowe and for his maturing as a child of God.
Yikes! Guess I’ll go into the Witness Protection Program. :+)
The Byzantine Church is in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.
If the chapel really is ‘Byzantine’, I hope in honor of the great confessor he takes the baptismal name of Maximus!
Maybe fellow-non-Australian Mel Gibson can be his sponsor.
‘I will have my reven- er, salvation – in this world or the next!’
He’s a gifted actor, and with change of heart and change of life he has an opportunity to reach out to millions of people. I trust that he’s now thrown his last cell phone.
Good for him. May he continue to grow in grace and faith.
The chapel is Non Denominational built for the occassion of Crowe’s wedding. Byzantine refers to the chapel’s architecture not the affiliation. Crowe’s son was baptized by Bishop Huggins the retired Anglican Bishop of Grafton, Au.
Hold up crew. Before getting too excited over claiming Crowe for the Catholic or Orthodox east, please note that “Byzantine Chapel” may be a bit of a stretch, and it is by no means an indication of denominational affiliation.
This is the exterior:
http://www.oprah.com/foodhome/home/spaces/slide/20031107/spaces_slide_20031107_crowe_05.jhtml
This is the interior:
http://www.oprah.com/foodhome/home/spaces/slide/20031107/spaces_slide_20031107_crowe_06.jhtml
When Crowe and the missus were married the wedding rites included a fertility blessing from an aboriginal shamen.
It is a cool looking building, but “domed wedding hut” is as apt a description as “chapel”. It is neither Catholic nor Orthodox.
The term “Byzantine” may refers simply to the style of the chapels and possibly the rite of services conducted there. The Byzantine Rite (as opposed to the Latin Rite) is used most commonly in the Eastern Orthodox Church but also by some churches which broke from Orthodoxy to enter into communion with the Roman Church. Strictly speaking the term Byzantine Catholic is really used only in the United States. The proper name for that particular “church” is the Ruthenien Greek Rite Catholic Church which is a semi autonomous jurisdiction under the Pope.
Re: 15
If there were shaman rites involved then I can emphatically state that the chapel is NOT Orthodox. Still I am pleased by his decision to be baptized. This is an important step in the right direction.
So and overpaid actor is about to go on the stage again for his next performance, in this case, baptism. Will there be reviewers there to write up his performance? Will Sean Penn do the honors in his role as priest? And the rest of the supporting cast is…? How can you swallow this hollywoodian puffery without gagging? How gullible can you be!
LM
Larry,
On what are you basing these rather harsh judgments? Do you have a window into this man’s soul? Or are Hollywood movie stars now banned from baptism as a class?
Petty harsh, don’t you think, Larry? I seem to remember Someone Famous saying something about not judging others … now who was that again? [finger to the lips] Not Elvis. Not Mark Twain. I remember it was in some book …
No matter WHAT it’s called, it’s a lovely place, and extremely well done. I wouldn’t mind having one like it on my own property…….I’ve got scads of room!