VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christian archaeology seeks to see, hear and touch the Word made flesh, Pope Leo XIV said, inviting the world's bishops and others to encourage young people, lay people and priests to study archaeology.

Ancient relics, catacombs, artifacts and ruins from the early Christian communities help the faithful "rediscover the roots of their faith," and they speak "to those who are distant, to nonbelievers and to those who question the meaning of life, because they find an echo of eternity in the silence of the tombs and in the beauty of the early Christian basilicas," the pope wrote in a new document.

"Moreover, archaeology speaks to young people, who often seek authenticity and significance; to scholars, who view faith as a historically documented reality rather than an abstraction; to pilgrims, who find in the catacombs and shrines a sense of purpose and an invitation to pray for the Church," he wrote.

The Vatican released Pope Leo's apostolic letter "on the importance of archaeology," Dec. 11, "on the occasion of the centenary of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology," which was founded by Pope Pius XI in 1925. The pope also met with members of the institute in an audience at the Vatican the same day.

The institute is a graduate-level research and teaching institution that offers degrees in Christian archaeology and has trained hundreds of archaeologists who specialize in ancient Christianity.

In the six-page letter, Pope Leo reaffirmed "the essential role of archaeology in understanding Christianity and, consequently, its application within catechetical and theological formation."

"This is not about reducing ecclesial life to a cult of the past," he wrote. True Christian archaeology is about making "the past speak to the present" and recognizing "the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding history."

"In today's fast-paced world, there is a tendency to forget and to consume images and words without reflecting on their meaning," Pope Leo wrote. "The Church, on the other hand, is called to educate people in memory, and Christian archaeology is one of its most noble tools for doing so."

Archaeology is "a ministry of hope, for it shows that faith has already survived difficult times and resisted persecution, crises and changes," he wrote. "Those who study the origins of Christianity discover that the Gospel has always had a generative force, that the Church is always reborn," and that the faith "has been renewed and regenerated, taking root in new peoples and flourishing in new forms."

"We live in an age in which misuse and overconsumption have taken precedence over preservation and respect," he wrote. "Archaeology, on the other hand, teaches us that even the smallest piece of evidence deserves attention, that every detail has value and that nothing can be discarded."

Archaeologists, he wrote, "do not destroy, but decipher," identifying "the spirit of an era, the meaning of faith and the silence of prayer on a piece of pottery, a corroded coin or a faded engraving." This kind of attitude and approach of respect "can teach us a great deal about pastoral care and catechesis today."

"Christian communities safeguarded not only Jesus' words, but also the places, objects and signs of his presence," he wrote. "The empty tomb, Peter's house in Capernaum, the tombs of the martyrs and the Roman catacombs all testify that God has truly entered history, and that faith is not a mere philosophy, but a tangible path within the reality of the world."

"In an era when culture often loses sight of its roots, archaeology becomes a valuable instrument" for evangelization, he said in the new document.

Christian archaeology does not simply look at the past, he wrote, but it also speaks to all people in the present day: the faithful, those who are distant, nonbelievers, young people and even scholars.

"It is still the mission of Christian archaeology to help the Church remember its origins, preserve the memory of its beginnings and recount the history of salvation not only through words, but also through images, forms and spaces," he wrote. 

Christian archaeology "seeks to touch, see and hear the Word made flesh," he wrote. "By concentrating on the physical traces of faith, archeology educates us in a theology of the senses: a theology that knows how to see, touch, smell and listen."

"Do we too believe in the power of study, formation and memory? Are we willing to invest in culture despite today's crises, to promote knowledge despite indifference and to defend beauty even when it seems irrelevant?" Pope Leo asked.

He invited "bishops, as well as leaders and guides in the areas of culture and education, to encourage young people, lay people and priests to study archaeology."

"Christian archaeology is a service, a vocation and a form of love for the Church and for humanity," he wrote, encouraging the pontifical institute to "continue your excavations. Continue to study, teach and recount history" to others as well as to "make visible the Word of life, bearing witness that God became flesh, that salvation has left its mark, and that this Mystery has become a historical narrative."

The Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology was founded to complement the work of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, which oversees the protection, conservation and administration of Christian catacombs and other sacred archaeological sites in Italy; the Pontifical Roman Academy of Archaeology, which promotes scholarly lectures and study on archaeology spanning from ancient Roman to Medieval times; and the Pontifical Academy "Cultorum Martyrum," which promotes the veneration, historical study and liturgical memory of Christian martyrs.

Pope Leo urged the different bodies to cooperate, communicate and mutually support one another.

Christian archaeology is "a resource for everyone," he wrote, by promoting culture and inspiring "respect for diversity."

Pope Leo XIV marked the centenary of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology by issuing an apostolic letter today on the importance of archaeology.

In the apostolic letter—the sixth of his pontificate—Pope Leo wrote that archaeology “reminds us that God chose to speak in a human language, to walk the earth and to inhabit places, houses, synagogues and streets.”

“By concentrating on the physical traces of faith, archaeology educates us in a theology of the senses: a theology that knows how to see, touch, smell and listen,” he said. “By examining stones, ruins and other artifacts, it teaches us that nothing touched by faith is insignificant ... In this sense, archaeology is also a school of humility.”

The Dicastery for the Clergy has overturned Bishop Michael Fisher’s decision to close three parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, according to Save Our Buffalo Churches, which has advocated on the parishes’ behalf.

Following the discovery of a procedural error, the bishop revoked a decree closing an additional parish.

Addressing a session of the International Organization for Migration, a Vatican diplomat said yesterday that states “have both the right to protect their borders and the duty to respect the rights of those who arrive at their borders.”

Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, said that “it is essential to remember that each person on the move is first and foremost a human being whose rights and God-given dignity must be at the care of international cooperation and migration governance. Regrettably, today’s debates are all too often clouded by stereotypes and polarized narratives.”

The vice president of the Haitian bishops’ conference said in an interview that the nation needs “new moral leadership.”

Bishop Pierre-André Dumas, who was severely wounded in an assassination attempt and is recovering in the United States, spoke with Vatican News about a “lack of vision and moral leadership. The state is often paralyzed and leaves the violent control of a large part of the territory to gangs.”

Haiti’s people cry out in pain “because of the wounds of poverty, gang violence, insecurity, and the fragility of institutions that should be rebuilt,” the prelate said. Despite the pain, he has hope that is “rooted in Christ: the certainty that evil will not have the last word.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities USA, and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network said that they “strongly oppose” the Trump administration’s decision to end the automatic extension of employment authorization for migrants.

In a 14-page letter to an official of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the organizations argued that the decision “will guarantee widespread employment-authorization gaps; destabilize fragile households; generate severe backlogs and administrative burdens for affiliates; impede the functioning of state agencies, such as Departments of Motor Vehicles; and impose substantial costs on US employers and local economies.”

William Quinn, the USCCB’s general counsel, signed the letter on behalf of the bishops’ conference.

The US Department of Justice’s Religious Liberty Commission heard testimony yesterday from the vicar general of the Archdiocese for the Military Services about the US Army’s cancellation of contracts for help at military chapels.

“A military that preserves the sacramental life of its Catholic members is one that respects their dignity, supports their resilience and reinforces the moral fabric essential to honorable service,” said Msgr. Anthony Frontiero.

President Donald Trump established the Religious Liberty Commission in May; its members include Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Bishop Robert Barron.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, sent a message in Pope Leo’s name to participants in the recent national conference for the educators and leaders of the Italian Catholic Action movement.

In the message, Pope Leo asked the 1,700 attendees to “consider how the life of the educator, his constant human and spiritual growth as a disciple of Christ, sustained by the grace of God, is a fundamental factor at his disposal to give effectiveness to his service to the younger generations.”

At the conclusion of his general audience yesterday, Pope Leo XIV recalled the 60th anniversary of the Letter of Reconciliation of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops, written two decades after the conclusion of World War II.

The message “changed the history of Europe,” Pope Leo told Polish-speaking pilgrims. “May the words of that document—‘We forgive and ask forgiveness’—be for the peoples in conflict today a testimony that reconciliation and forgiveness are possible when they are born of a mutual desire for peace and a common commitment, in truth, for the good of humanity.”

The Vatican omitted Pope Leo’s words from its English translation of his remarks.

On December 9, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, marked the anniversary in an Italian-language address at Pontifical Gregorian University.

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Anne at a Divine Liturgy in Canberra, Australia.

“By studying biology and modern science, you know that human life begins at conception,” he preached. “With the development of the central and peripheral nervous systems, the child in the womb enters into personal relationships. A newborn child recognizes the mother’s voice and feels her heartbeat.”

“Today, with this solemn service, we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of our Mother, the Heavenly Virgin Mary,” he continued. “The Virgin Mary entered into a special relationship not only with her mother [St. Anne], but also with the Holy Trinity.”