Pope Benedict XVI’s last residence becomes a monastery again
Published: Monday, Nov 13th 2023, 13:50
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The last residence of the late Pope Benedict XVI, the Mater Ecclesiae in the Vatican Gardens, will once again become a monastery. By order of Pope Francis, the building will now be used again for its "original purposes", as the Vatican announced on Monday.
Francis' German predecessor - whose real name was Joseph Ratzinger - spent the rest of his life there after his surprising resignation in 2013. Benedict XVI, who was pope for almost eight years, also died there on New Year's Eve 2022 at the age of 95.
The Mater Ecclesiae (Latin for "Mother of the Church") was inaugurated in 1994 by Pope John Paul II. The nuns living there are supposed to dedicate themselves in a special way to intercession and prayer for the Pope and the Roman Curia. As Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI had lived there for almost a decade - together with his confidant Georg Gänswein. In the Vatican, the monastery was seen as a point of reference for anyone who disagreed with Pope Francis' much more liberal course. The 67-year-old Gänswein has now returned to Freiburg.
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