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Actor Martin Sheen, a devout Catholic, gave Pope Francis’ Mass at Madison Square Garden a rave review. “It was beautiful,” he said. “It was very gratifying.”
CNY caught up with the actor outside the Garden in a brisk, three-block walk after the liturgy. Sheen said he was amazed by the pontiff’s stamina “at the end of a very long and tiring day.”
“I kept feeling that we were keeping him up, but he was so energetic—particularly at the end, when Cardinal Dolan thanked him for coming and said how grateful we were, and the crowd went ‘mad,’” Sheen said with a dramatic inflection.
Recalling the joy-filled moment, the actor laughed heartily, adding, “The Pope gave this magnificent smile, this blessing. I was delighted, just delighted.”
Sheen was part of the pre-Mass program sponsored by the archdiocese in collaboration with the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Center for Thought and Culture. The actor, who got his start on the New York stage, put the pontiff’s visit in respectful perspective, recognizing him as a successor to the apostles rather than a Hollywood-like celebrity.
“Once a Catholic, always a Catholic,” Sheen said. “I love the faith. It’s the staple of my life; it’s basically the rock I cling to.
“I value it in ways that become clearer each day with each new situation. I love being a Catholic, and I love the joy that the faith has brought me. So I’m very fortunate.”
Pope Francis’ repeated request that all remember to pray for him resonated with Sheen. “I thought that was the most humbling, most beautiful thing to come from the Supreme Pontiff.”
