Daniel del Castillo González
The Vatican and Hollywood are teaming up again. Pope Leo XIV joins American movie star Chris Pratt in a documentary that ventures into one of the Vatican’s most closely guarded places.
Beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, the journey winds past Roman tombs and ancient inscriptions, exploring a mystery archaeologists are still investigating: What makes this place so significant to Christianity?
PAULA ORTIZ
Director, Pétros ení
“Well, I hope the great treasure hidden beneath the Vatican sparks curiosity and mystery for everyone. For one thing, it truly is an archaeological gem, one of the largest preserved necropolises from antiquity.”
The title itself holds a clue. Pétros ení means “Peter is here,” and refers to a Greek inscription found during excavations beneath the basilica, commissioned by Pope Pius XII in 1939.
Eleven meters underground, archaeologists discovered an ancient Roman necropolis, complete with mausoleums and burial chambers. Pope Paul VI said the evidence convincingly pointed to the remains of the first pope.
The film also offers a rare glimpse of Pope Leo XIV on camera, when he appears at the site associated with Christianity’s first stone.
PAULA ORTIZ
Director, Pétros ení
It was an incredibly enjoyable shoot, and very brief. We didn’t even know if it would happen. Because of scheduling and security, we were only told that same day that we’d be filming the pope. We initially had half an hour, then an hour, to get everything done in a single take, one shot. After all, the pope isn’t an actor, so he had to deliver the entire text in one go.
Chris Pratt, the Hollywood star known for Guardians of the Galaxy and recepient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, also wanted to help once he heard about the project.
PAULA ORTIZ
Director, Pétros ení
And then Chris Pratt came on board, too. Well into the documentary’s production, he said he wanted to take part, even as a producer. And yes, I think Chris Pratt has been one of the major pillars supporting this documentary.
Pope Leo wrote his own lines, drawing inspiration from Chesterton. At the heart of the text is the idea of fragility.
PAULA ORTIZ
Director, Pétros ení
Honestly, it was a wonderful shoot. I wish all actors were like Pope Leo. He’s very intelligent, calm, kind and precise, with that mathematical quality to his character.
Four centuries after the consecration of today’s basilica, Chris Pratt takes viewers deep into its archaeological past, while Pope Leo XIV gives voice to the truth that endures beneath it.
