Pope Gregory XIII

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Pope

Gregory XIII
Bishop of Rome
DioceseRome
SeeHoly See
Papacy began13 May 1572
Papacy ended10 April 1585
PredecessorPius V
SuccessorSixtus V
Orders
Ordinationc. 1558
Consecration1558
Created cardinal12 March 1565
by Pius IV
Personal details
Birth nameUgo Boncompagni
Born7 January 1502
Bologna, Papal States
Died10 April 1585 (aged 83)
Rome, Papal States
Previous post
  • Bishop of Vieste (1558–1560)
  • Legate to Spain (1565)
  • Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura (1565)
  • Cardinal-Priest of San Sisto Vecchio (1565–1572)
MottoAperuit et clausit ("Opened and closed")
Coat of armsGregory XIII's coat of arms
Other popes named Gregory

Pope Gregory XIII (Latin: Gregorius XIII; 7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585), born Ugo Boncompagni, was the head of the Catholic Church from 13 May 1572 to his death in 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake for the Gregorian calendar, which remains the internationally accepted civil calendar to this date.

Early life[change | change source]

Ugo Boncompagni was born in 1502, in Bologna.[1]

Bishop[change | change source]

Pope Paul IV appointed him Bishop of Viesti in 1558.[1]

Cardinal[change | change source]

In 1564, he was made a cardinal by Pope Pius IV.[1]

Pope[change | change source]

Cardinal Boncompagni was elected Pope at age 70;[2] and he chose to be called Gregory XIII.

Pope Gregory was involved in Italian and European political disputes.[1]

He founded the Gregorian University in Rome.[3]

In the last year of his life, Gregory received an embassy from Japan.[2]

Gregorian calendar[change | change source]

Pope Gregory is famous for his correction of mistakes in the Julian calendar. To accomplish the necessary changes, the Gregorian calendar skipped ten days between 4 October 1582 and 15 October 1582.[4]

  • 1582 – Gregorian calendar reset, when 4 October was followed by 15 October.[5]

Related pages[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

The Coat of Arms of Gregory XIII
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Pope Gregory XIII," Catholic Encyclopedia; retrieved 2011-11-3.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. (1838). "Gregory XIII," Penny cyclopaedia, Vol. 11, p. 446.
  3. "Gregory XIII (1502-1585)," Who's Who in Christianity; retrieved 2012-7-18.
  4. Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. (1839). "Kalendar," Penny cyclopaedia, Vol. 13, p. 172.
  5. St. Peter's Basilica, Monument to Gregory XIII; retrieved 2011-11-10.

Other websites[change | change source]

Media related to Gregorius XIII at Wikimedia Commons

  •  "Pope Gregory XIII" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.
  • "Gregory XIII", Encyclopædia Britannica, 1911
  • Catholic Hierarchy, Pope Gregory XIII
  • Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal Boncompagni Archived 2018-01-28 at the Wayback Machine


Preceded by
Pius V
Pope
1572–1585
Succeeded by
Sixtus V