Actor Chris Pratt says working on a new Vatican documentary that explores the tomb of St. Peter helped deepen his Catholic faith, describing the experience of encountering the remains associated with one of Jesus Christ’s apostles as profoundly meaningful.

The documentary features Pope Leo XIV and uses IMAX drone cameras to capture footage connected to the Vatican and the historic tomb of St. Peter, who holds a central place in Catholic tradition as the first pope.

Pratt said the experience gave him a renewed appreciation for the biblical account in which Jesus identifies Peter as the rock upon which His Church would be built. He reflected on the connection between that passage and the Catholic Church’s continued presence nearly 2,000 years later.

“It was really profound to be encountering the remains of one of Jesus’ apostles,” Pratt said. “There was prophetic word, he said that the church will be built upon that rock. And Simon Peter is the rock. To see the church some 2,000 years later, and see the prophecy of his words came true, it just was really meaningful to me.”

The tomb beneath St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City has long been an important site for Catholic pilgrims and historians. Catholic tradition identifies it as the burial place of Peter, the apostle whom Jesus entrusted with a central leadership role among His followers.

Pratt, known for his roles in major Hollywood films, has spoken publicly about his Christian faith. His latest project brings together filmmaking technology, Vatican history and one of the Catholic Church’s most significant religious traditions, while offering viewers a closer look at a site closely connected to the origins of the Church.

For Pratt, the experience was more than a documentary production. He said seeing the site associated with Peter helped him reflect on the relationship between Scripture, Church history, and the endurance of the Catholic faith across centuries.