Mater Ecclesiae Monastery

Early life and church career

Papacy

Theology and writings

Magisterial documents

Church governance and liturgy

Ecumenism and interfaith relations

Resignation, death, and legacy

The Mater Ecclesiae Monastery (Latin for "Mother of the Church" dedicated to Mary) is a monastery in Vatican City. It was founded around 1990 by Pope John Paul II as a monastery for cloistered nuns who pray specifically for the health of the pope. Various cloistered orders are invited to take up residence for a time. It served as the residence of Pope Benedict XVI from his resignation in 2013 until his death in 2022. In 2023, Pope Francis returned it to its monastic purpose with an invitation to Benedictine nuns of the Abbey of St. Scholastica in Victoria, Argentina.