Actor Gérard Depardieu is baptized into Orthodoxy just months after scandalous Christmas show

Paris, September 7, 2020

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Academy Award-nominated French actor Gérard Depardieu was received into the Orthodox Church by the Sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation on Friday, September 4.

The service was celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan John of Dubna, the head of the Russian Church’s Archdiocese of Russian Churches in Western Europe, at the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky in Paris, reports mk.ru.

There were about 30 people in attendance. Reports also indicate that Depardieu, 71, became the Godfather to a girl who was baptized the same day.

According to the French outlet Valeurs, Depardieu, who was granted Russian citizenship in 2013, cited his fondness for the Orthodox Divine Liturgy and his close contacts with Orthodox clergy as his reasons for converting. He reportedly also claimed His Eminence Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Pskov as his spiritual father.

His conversion comes as a surprise to many.

Depardieu was arrested for driving his scooter drunk just the weekend before his Baptism, and earlier this year, he was a guest on a scandalous episode of the famous Russian late night show Vecherny Urgant on January 7, Old Calendar Christmas, in which the host showed a photo of a Nativity scene with the actor Nicholas Cage in place of the Christ Child, and the Mother of God and St. Joseph replaced by the directors Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino.

Depardieu himself stated that he does not love Christmas and does not believe in God.

The actor has a long history of spiritual seeking. He converted to Islam in the 1960s, thereafter practicing Buddhism and then Hinduism. According to Valeurs, he also stated at his Baptism that he is interested in converting to Judaism soon, given its closeness to Islam, though it is unclear if he meant it as a serious statement.

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9/7/2020

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Comments
Nicolae Vlah9/9/2020 4:17 pm
@Eugénie W: The stature of a man is no reason to excuse the mockery that bishop did. If you want to bring a person to Christ you find a way. Who's fault is that most of the churches don't have a baptistery? Also if the actor Cary-Hyroyuki Tagawa wasn't baptized by immersion either again is no excuse. Metropolitan Hilarion made the same mockery. Best regards!
Eugénie W.9/8/2020 2:39 pm
@ NicolaeVlah and others : It would have been better to baptise him by immersion, of course, but given his stature, it would have been impossible except in a river, and I don't think his state of health would permit it. Besides, if you have a look at the baptism of Cary-Hyroyuki Tagawa (rubric : "See also..."), another actor, you will see that he was not baptised by metr. Hilarion by immersion either... Depardieu is known for his rather provocative outings, but I think the man is better than his words. I think one has to be careful about ear-say. The sentence about converting to Judaism is most probably a joke (not a very good one, I agree...). As for the Christmas show, I don't know what he said exactly : perhaps he had in mind the way Christmas is used commercially, and the figure of God as "the old bearded man high above" ?
Nicolae Vlah9/8/2020 8:29 am
He wasn't baptized, baptism requires three immersions. That didn't happen as we all can see in the photos. What happen there was a mockery done by that bishop.
Katherine Colling9/8/2020 7:06 am
Shame on the priest who "baptized" this actor. Mr. Depardieu is just enjoying a flight of "religions"--Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and then Orthodoxy. The report states that AT HIS "BAPTISM," he said that he was interested in converting to Judaism soon! He even said that he does not believe in God. How could he even be a godfather? Why was he even "baptized" by the Orthodox priest?? Did he give the Church a big donation? Why would the priest let him endanger his soul by not taking his "conversion" seriously? Did Mr. Depardieu spend time as a catechumen learning about the holy Orthodox Faith? Based on his comments, one has to wonder. Perhaps this is one reason why young Orthodox Christians don't take the Faith seriously. We need our clergy to instruct and guide us in the true Faith as it was taught by the apostles. I personally find the whole thing scandalous!
Maria Isabel de Castro Menezes Cañete9/8/2020 5:13 am
If Depardieu do not believe in God and do not respect Christmas, why was permited to him receive Holy Sacraments in Orthodoxy Church?? What is going on?
Getu assefa9/8/2020 3:28 am
Dear Russian Orthodox followers, first of all, for this day and hour Thanks be to God for leading us. It is known that 95% of the population of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Ethiopia is Orthodox Christian. Churches in rural areas are under construction and lack of infrastructure We ask for your name, so we can ask you to support us because the people are in need of service.
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