Pope Gregory XIII lived at the time of the Renaissance. During this time there was a resurgence of learning, affecting philosophical thought, science, and art. Leonardo da Vinci painted the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa; Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and sculpted the Pietà. Pope Gregory XIII lived during a time of great exploration of the world. Vasco de Gama discovered a sea route to India; Magellan's expedition circumnavigated the world; Ponce de Leon discovered Florida; Francis Drake circled the world and claimed California for England. Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation. Henry VIII renounced the Catholic Church and began the Anglican Church of England. The spinning wheel improved the production of fabrics.
Who he was
Ugo Buoncompagni was born in Bologna, Italy. He studied law. After he graduated, he taught law for many years. The pope made him a cardinal and sent him to attend the Council of Trent, a meeting in which Catholic rules were explained and revised. Later, the pope sent him to Spain to serve as an adviser to the king.
In 1572, he became pope and took the name Gregory XIII. He was able to deal with problems in the church because he was very intelligent and adept at working with people. He worked very hard to make the Church better and to follow the rules set at the Council of Trent.
Pope Gregory XIII worked closely with the Jesuit order of priests. He sent them on many missions to teach others about the Catholic faith. He also started many seminaries for training priests.
Pope Gregory XIII created the Gregorian calendar, the calendar we use today. The old calendar was too long and did not match with the seasons of the year and the cycles of the moon. This caused the date of Easter to be too early in the year.
What this saint means to us today
The Gregorian calendar, created by Pope Gregory XIII, is still in use today. The Jesuits are priests, teachers, and missionaries and have established many schools, universities and places of learning throughout the world.
