\b0 Ugo Buoncompagni was born to a merchant family in Bologna in 1502. He studied
jurisprudence in his native city and became a professor. At this time, he led a rather irresponsible life and had a son. It was not until 1539 that he went to Rome and was ordained priest. Paul III (1534-1549) entrusted him with many important judicial
offices, and from 1561 to 1562, he participated in the Council of Trent. In recognition of the important role he played at the Council, Pius IV (1560-1565) appointed him cardinal in 1565, and he was sent as papal envoy to Spain from where he returned in
1572 as the new pope. Pope Gregory had meanwhile become a man of great personal seriousness thanks to the influence of Charles Borromeo (1538-1584). He immediately demonstrated his determination by promoting the Tridentine decrees and Catholic reform, es
pecially in Protestant lands. In this way he managed to halt the expansion of the Reformation. He steadfastly dedicated himself to the training of the clergy by reorganising the Roman College (which became the Gregorian University) and other national col
leges based in Rome. Gregory then lent his support to the Jesuits, not just in Europe but also in the missions in far-off places such as India, Japan and Brazil. He completed the reform of the Julian Calendar which necessitated the cancellation of ten da
