Chris Pratt is opening up about his faith journey after one of his children experienced a frightening health scare.
“I was baptized in a Catholic Church and have believed in God since childhood. I attended various religious institutions, including Catholic, Lutheran and Evangelical churches,” Pratt, 46, wrote in an essay published in Maria Shriver’s The Sunday Paper on Sunday, December 21. “I knew little about the distinctions between denominations but so much about the healing power of Grace. Mine was a broken road marked by cycles of sin and forgiveness; a pattern of rebellion, shame and grace on repeat leading to increased extremes of emotional highs and lows.”
According to the actor, everything changed when the son he shares with ex-wife Anna Faris arrived earlier than expected.
“When my son Jack was fighting for his life, I found myself back on my knees, pleading to God for a miracle,” he wrote. “I promised that if Jack survived, I would devote my life to sharing God’s message. This time I meant it. Jack is now a healthy 13-year-old boy.”
Jack arrived seven weeks prematurely in August 2012 and weighed only 3 lbs., 10 oz. at birth. Four months after Jack was born, Pratt shared on Late Night With David Letterman that his son was “totally healthy now.”
“Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for his life, and for the lives of my other children,” Pratt — who also shares Lyla, 5, Eloise, 3, and Ford, 13 months, with wife Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt — wrote in his latest essay. “I know how fortunate I am. I know there are countless parents who pray those same prayers and don’t receive the answer I did. My heart is with them always.”
Earlier this month, Pratt had the opportunity to travel to Rome to film a documentary on St. Peter. During his visit, the Guardians of the Galaxy actor had the opportunity to meet with Pope Leo XIV.
In an Instagram post, Pratt called the once-in-a-lifetime moment an “extraordinary honor.”
Before meeting with the Pope, Pratt said he felt “compelled to talk about the light my faith has brought into my life.”
After his latest trip to Rome, he’s found himself thinking “a lot about that light — and about the darkness that lives in all of us.”
“I thought about the power of the light within each person I meet, and how to help others see it for themselves. Because light is not reserved for the holy or the righteous. Light is something we all have access to,” Pratt continued. “The invitation is always there: Turn toward the light. See yourself as you truly are. Walk without fear of the shadow behind you.”
Shriver, 70, has previously expressed her love and appreciation for her son-in-law’s faith.
During a May episode of the “Jamie Kern Lima Show” podcast, the activist praised Pratt as “so loving and spiritual, kind.”
“He’s such a great husband and father,” Shriver continued, “and he is such a great member of our family.”
