GREGORY XIV. (_Nicolo Sfondrato_), pope 1590-1591, was born in Cremona, on the 11th of February 1535, studied in Perugia, and Padua, became bishop of his native place in 1560, and took part in the council of Trent, 1562-1563. Gregory XIII. made him a cardinal, 1583, but ill-health forbade his active participation in affairs. His election to the papacy, to succeed Urban VII., on the 5th of December 1590, was due to Spanish influence. Gregory was upright and devout, but utterly ignorant of politics. During his short pontificate the States of the Church suffered dire calamities, famine, epidemic and a fresh outbreak of brigandage. Gregory was completely subservient to Philip II.; he aided the league, excommunicated Henry of Navarre, and threatened his adherents with the ban; but the effect of his intervention was only to rally the moderate Catholics to the support of Henry, and to hasten his conversion. Gregory died on the 15th of October 1591, and was succeeded by Innocent IX. See Ciaconius, _Vitae et res gestae summorum pontiff. Rom._ (Rome, 1601-1602); Cicarella, continuator of Platina, _De vitis pontiff. Rom._ (both contemporary); Brosch, _Gesch. des Kirchenstaates_ (1880). i. 300; Ranke, _Popes_ (Eng. trans., Austin), ii. 228 seq. GREGORY XV. (_Alessandro Ludovisi_) was born on the 9th of January 1554, in Bologna, where he also studied and taught. He was made archbishop of his native place and cardinal by Paul V., whom he succeeded as pope on the 9th of February 1621. Despite his age and feebleness, Gregory displayed remarkable energy. He aided the emperor in the Thirty Years' War, and the king of Poland against the Turks. He endorsed the claims of Maximilian of Bavaria to the electoral dignity, and was rewarded with the gift of the Heidelberg library, which was carried off to Rome. Gregory founded the Congregation of the Propaganda, encouraged missions, fixed the order to be observed in conclaves, and canonized Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, Philip Neri and Theresa de Jesus. He died on the 8th of July 1623, and was succeeded by Urban VIII. See the contemporary life by Vitorelli, continuator of Ciaconius, _Vitae et res gestae summorum pontiff. Rom._; Ranke's excellent account, _Popes_ (Eng. trans., Austin), ii. 468 seq.; v. Reumont, _Gesch. der Stadt Rom_, iii. 2, 609 seq.; Brosch, _Gesch. des Kirchenstaates_ (1880), i. 370 seq.; and the extended bibliography in Herzog-Hauck, _Realencyklopadie_, s.v. "Gregor XV." (T. F. C.)