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Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in 1947 and grew up in a Catholic family in Austria. He has cited his Catholic upbringing in a viral message on American democracy, stating that he went to church and Catholic school and learned the Bible and his catechisms. He has also mentioned the importance of a public servant's heart in elected officials, a value he traces back to his Catholic education. Schwarzenegger has five children: four with his ex-wife Maria Shriver (Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher) and one with his longtime housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena (Joseph Baena). While it is not explicitly stated whether Schwarzenegger's children are Catholic, the family attended St. Monica's Catholic Church.
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What You'll Learn
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Catholic upbringing
Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Austria in 1947 and grew up in a Catholic family. In a YouTube video posted on January 10, 2021, Schwarzenegger cited his Catholic upbringing in Austria, saying that a "public servant's heart" is needed in America's elected officials. He said:
> I grew up Catholic, I went to church. Went to Catholic school, I learned the Bible and my catechisms. And from those days, I remember a phrase that is relevant today: a servant’s heart. It means serving something larger than yourself.
Schwarzenegger added that America needs public servants who will serve higher ideals, the ideals in which the country was founded, and the ideals that other countries look up to. He also mentioned the book Profiles in Courage, written by the first Catholic US president, John F. Kennedy.
Despite his Catholic upbringing, Schwarzenegger has expressed a strong conviction that Heaven is "make-believe". He has been criticised for his apparent lack of a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ and his lackadaisical approach to the Bible. Schwarzenegger has also been urged to explore the evidence for Christianity with an open mind.
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His children's religious beliefs
Arnold Schwarzenegger was born and raised in a Catholic family in Austria. He has cited his Catholic upbringing in a viral message on American democracy, saying that he went to church and Catholic school and learned the Bible and his catechisms. He has also mentioned the importance of a "public servant's heart", a phrase he remembers from his Catholic education.
Schwarzenegger has five children: four with his ex-wife Maria Shriver – daughters Katherine and Christina and sons Patrick and Christopher – and one with his longtime housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena, son Joseph Baena. Schwarzenegger and Shriver's children were born and raised in Los Angeles and attended St. Monica's Catholic Church.
While it is not known if Schwarzenegger's children continue to practice Catholicism, they did receive a Catholic education. In a 2025 interview, Schwarzenegger's son Patrick described his parents as “very strict" and said that he and his siblings “hated” when their father became governor of California.
Schwarzenegger himself has expressed strong convictions that Heaven is "make-believe" and a "fantasy", and that "we won't see each other again after we're gone". This has puzzled some commentators, who question the basis of his beliefs.
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Schwarzenegger's political career
Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder. He is known for his roles in high-profile action films.
Schwarzenegger's journey to politics began with a simple dream to be more than ordinary. His parents wanted him to become a police officer, but he was too ambitious for such a mundane job. He built a name for himself in bodybuilding and acting before deciding to run for governor.
During his tenure as governor, Schwarzenegger signed the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which aimed to significantly reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions over the next two decades. This legislation has had lasting effects, influencing initiatives such as the solar roof initiative.
In addition to his environmental efforts, Schwarzenegger has also been vocal about his support for American democracy. In a viral YouTube video posted in January 2021, he cited his Catholic upbringing in Austria, emphasizing the need for elected officials to have "a public servant's heart." He decried the January 6 assault on the Capitol, making a direct reference to the Kristallnacht episode launched against the Jews in 1938 by the Nazis. Schwarzenegger called for Americans to unite regardless of political affiliation, asking them to support President-elect Biden for the nation's success.
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Schwarzenegger's children's careers
Arnold Schwarzenegger has five children: daughters Katherine and Christina, and sons Patrick, Christopher, and Joseph Baena. Schwarzenegger has said that fatherhood is "the greatest joy" and that it is "fantastic" to watch his children grow into their own successful lives.
Katherine Schwarzenegger, born in 1989, is the oldest child of Schwarzenegger and his ex-wife Maria Shriver. Katherine has become a New York Times best-selling author and published her first book, "Rock What You've Got: Secrets to Loving Your Inner and Outer Beauty from Someone Who's Been There and Back", in 2010. She has expressed that she has no interest in pursuing a career in politics, despite being born into a political family.
Patrick Schwarzenegger, born in 1993, is the third child of Schwarzenegger and Shriver. Following in his father's footsteps, Patrick is an actor and model pursuing a career in Hollywood. He made his big-screen debut with a brief cameo in 2006's "Benchwarmers" and has since added movies like Netflix's "Moxie" and HBO Max's "The Staircase" to his resume. Patrick is also a graduate of the USC Marshall School of Business and is engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Abby Champion.
Christopher Schwarzenegger, born in 1997, is the fourth child of Schwarzenegger and Shriver. Not much information is publicly available about Christopher's career.
Joseph Baena, Schwarzenegger's fifth child, was born in 1997 to Schwarzenegger and the family's longtime housekeeper, Mildred Patricia Baena. Joseph is a bodybuilder and budding actor, having worked on projects like the 2016 short film "Terminator 2 Remake With Joseph Baena: Bad to the Bone" and the 2021 movie "Bully High". He is also a real estate agent with California-based agency ARIA Properties and competed on season 31 of "Dancing With the Stars".
While less information is available about Christina Schwarzenegger's career, she is the second child of Schwarzenegger and Shriver, born in 1991.
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Schwarzenegger's divorce from Shriver
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's divorce was finalised in December 2021, a decade after Shriver filed for divorce in 2011. The pair had been married for 25 years and shared four children: Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher.
Shriver moved out of the family home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, in May 2011. Schwarzenegger kept the Brentwood property, while Shriver purchased a new home nearby so that their children could travel between their parents' houses. They shared custody of the two youngest children.
Shriver filed for divorce two months after news of Schwarzenegger's affair with their housekeeper, Mildred Patricia Baena, was made public. Shriver and Schwarzenegger had a son, Joseph Baena, as a result of the affair. Schwarzenegger confessed to Shriver only after she confronted him with the information. Shriver described Schwarzenegger's admission as "painful and heartbreaking".
Shriver later wrote about the end of her marriage in her book, I Am Maria:
> "My twenty-five-year-long marriage blew up. It broke my heart, it broke my spirit, it broke what was left of me. Without my marriage, my parents, a job—the dam of my lifelong capital-D Denial just blew apart."
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Frequently asked questions
Arnold Schwarzenegger was brought up in a Catholic family and attended Catholic school.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's children with Maria Shriver—Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher—were brought up Catholic and attended St. Monica's Catholic Church.
Schwarzenegger has expressed that he believes Heaven is "make-believe" and a "fantasy".
Schwarzenegger has said that his Catholic upbringing taught him the importance of having "a public servant's heart".
Schwarzenegger has five children: Patrick (an actor and model), Katherine, Christina (a founding member of the Special Olympics Founder's Council), Christopher, and Joseph Baena.
