Pope Gregory XV

Born Alessandro Ludovisi on 9 January 1554, he trained as a lawyer before entering the Church. Elected pope on 9 February 1621, he immediately set about institutionalizing the Counter-Reformation's ambitions. He founded the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, turning missionary work from scattered effort into coordinated campaign. In 1622 he canonized four figures at once — Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Ávila, and Philip Neri — elevating the icons of Catholic renewal to sainthood in a single stroke. His papacy lasted just two years. He died on 8 July 1623, but the mi…