Though he was Jewish for most of his life and widely known as progressive, Lear converted to Catholicism last year, and was baptized by a priest from the Dominican House of Studies, according to a PJ Media article. “While some of his critics characterized Lear as a classic example of a Jewish agnostic, in 2022, in what might seem an unexpected move, Lear embraced the Catholic Faith,” the article said, adding that, “Lear was inspired by one of his daughters, who converted while at Harvard.”