Gregory XIII (1502-1585) was elected pope in 1572 and devoted his reign to Catholic reform. As pope, he gave priority to improving the education of Catholic clergy. Through his efforts, the church set up many seminaries for the training of parish priests. He greatly enlarged the Roman College in Rome, which later became known as the Gregorian University in his honor. These actions helped stop the Protestant advance in Germany and made Poland a Catholic country.
In 1575, Gregory gave approval to the Oratorians religious order, founded by Saint Philip Neri. Gregory encouraged missionary work by the Jesuit order in China, India, Japan, and Brazil. His most famous act was replacing the outmoded Julian calendar with the more accurate Gregorian calendar in 1582.
Gregory was born on June 7, 1502, in Bologna, Italy. His given and family name was Ugo Buoncompagni. Pope Pius IV named him a cardinal in 1565. Gregory died on April 10, 1585.
