Pope Leo: Christian archaeology is vocation and form of love for Church and humanity
Excavation, physically handling the ruins, rediscovering the vitality of time—the work of the Christian archaeologist involves not only material things “but extends to what is truly human”: the hands that forged the artifacts discovered, “the minds that conceived them, and the hearts that loved them.”
This is one of the characteristics of Christian archaeology that the Pope highlights in his Apostolic Letter on the importance of archaeology on the occasion of the centenary of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology, published Thursday, 11 December 2025.
Making visible the Mystery
Matter and mystery are the two intersecting threads in Christian archaeology, Pope Leo says, precisely because “Christianity was not born from an idea, but through flesh… through a womb, a body, and a tomb.”
“At its most authentic core,” the Pope explains, the Christian faith is historical, grounded in specific events, faces, gestures and words spoken in a particular language, era and environment. This is what archaeology uncovers and makes tangible.”
He then recalls that “God chose to speak in a human language, to walk the earth and to inhabit places, houses, synagogues and streets.”
This is why, “in an age marked by artificial intelligence and by the exploration of countless galaxies, Christian archaeology can still be a fruitful field of study for society and for the Church.
“Christian theology,” Pope Leo says, “cannot be fully understood without understanding the places and material evidence that bear witness to the faith of the early centuries.”
‘Nothing touched by faith is insignificant’
Archaeology and theology are thus intertwined in the work of the Christian archaeologist, underpinning it with a keen sensitivity to carefully handle “physical traces of faith.”
“By examining stones, ruins and other artifacts, it teaches us that nothing touched by faith is insignificant,” the Pope says. “Archaeology … teaches us that even the smallest piece of evidence deserves attention, that every detail has value and that nothing can be discarded.
