Pope Gregory XIII

Ugo Buoncompagni was pope from 1572 to 1585. According to the Britannica he received the news of the St Bartholomew's Day massacre with joy and celebrated it publicly; he had a Te Deum sung and a medal struck showing an angel with cross and sword killing the Huguenots. He subsidised Philip II in the Netherlands, aided the Catholic League in France and sent papal expeditions to Ireland in 1578 and 1579 to depose Queen Elizabeth. From 1584 at least 150 Jews had to attend conversionist sermons every week. To meet his expenses he confiscated nobles' estates; according to the Britannica the country became infested with bandits.

Life dates

1502-1585 (about 83 years old)

Country

France, Ireland, Italy, Vatican City, United Kingdom

Institutions

Holy See
Papal States

Category

Anti-Judaism, Violence, Persecution

Level of evidence

B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

Background

Course of events

1. Ugo Buoncompagni was born at Bologna on 7 January 1502, elected pope on 13 May 1572 and died on 10 April 1585.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „was born on the 7th of January 1502, in Bologna“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „On the 13th of May 1572 he was chosen pope to succeed Pius V.“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „Gregory died, on the 10th of April 1585“

2. Gregory subsidised Philip II in his wars in the Netherlands, aided the Catholic League in France and incited attacks upon Elizabeth by way of Ireland. In 1578 he sent Thomas Stukeley with a ship and 800 men to Ireland; in 1579 another papal expedition sailed there under James Fitzmaurice with Nicholas Sanders as papal nuncio. The Catholic Encyclopedia writes that no blame attaches to him for trying to depose the queen by force of arms.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „He subsidized Philip II. in his wars in the Netherlands; aided the Catholic League in France; incited attacks upon Elizabeth by way of Ireland.“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 7 (1910), Michael Ott, Pontifikat

   „As early as 1578 he sent Thomas Stukeley with a ship and an army of 800 men to Ireland“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 7 (1910), Michael Ott, Pontifikat

   „Another papal expedition which sailed to Ireland in 1579 under the command of James Fitzmaurice, accompanied by Nicholas Sanders as papal nuncio“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 7 (1910), Michael Ott, Pontifikat

   „No blame, therefore, attaches to Gregory XIII for trying to depose the queen by force of arms.“

Who received the assets, who profited?

1. To meet the expenses of his liberality and extravagance, according to the Britannica Gregory resorted to confiscation on the pretext of defective titles or long-standing arrears. The result was disastrous to the public peace: nobles armed themselves, old feuds revived and the country became infested with bandits.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „Gregory resorted to confiscation, on the pretext of defective titles or long-standing arrearages“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „the country became infested with bandits“

Response of the Church

1. According to the Britannica he received the news of the St Bartholomew's Day massacre of 23 August 1572 with joy and publicly celebrated the event; his apologists explain that he believed France had been miraculously delivered. The Catholic Encyclopedia confirms that he ordered the massacre to be celebrated in Rome with a Te Deum and other marks of rejoicing, but denies any involvement in the deed itself. The medal he had struck shows an angel with cross and drawn sword killing the Huguenots.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „he received the news of the massacre of St Bartholomew (23rd of August 1572) with joy, and publicly celebrated the event“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 7 (1910), Michael Ott, Pontifikat

   „be celebrated in Rome by a "Te Deum" and other marks of rejoicing“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 7 (1910), Michael Ott, Pontifikat

   „he had nothing whatever to do with the massacre itself“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 7 (1910), Michael Ott, Pontifikat

   „stands an angel with cross and drawn sword, killing the Huguenots“

2. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, despite occasional leniency Gregory introduced a large number of severe restrictions. Jews were prohibited from driving through the streets of the city and from 1584 had to send at least 150 of their number every week to the sermons of a conversionist preacher. Under his pontificate the custom of forcing Jews to race at the carnival for the amusement of the mob while mud was thrown at them is first mentioned in 1574.
   Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901 bis 1906), Artikel Popes, The, Abschnitt Gregory XIII.

   „who, while he showed an occasional leniency, introduced a large number of severe restrictions“

   Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901 bis 1906), Artikel Popes, The, Abschnitt Gregory XIII.

   „they were obliged to send every week at least 150 of their number to listen to the sermons of a conversionist preacher (1584)“

   Evidence: Jewish Encyclopedia (1901 bis 1906), Artikel Popes, The, Abschnitt Gregory XIII.

   „for the amusement of the mob, to race during the carnival, when mud was thrown at them“

See also

• Person 1504-1572 · about 68 years old

  Pope Pius V (Michele Ghislieri)

  • Italy
  • Vatican City
  • Anti-Judaism
  • Heresy trials
  • Persecution
  • Censorship
• 24 Aug 1572-3 Oct 1572 · 41 days

  St Bartholomew's Day Massacre 1572 and the reaction in Rome

  • France
  • Vatican City
  • Murder
  • Persecution
• 1577-1847 · 270 years

  Compulsory sermons for Jews, Gregory XIII obliges them in 1577 and 1584 to listen to conversion sermons

  • Italy
  • Vatican City
  • Anti-Judaism
  • Persecution

Scholarly literature and reference works

1. Reference work
   Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Gregory XIII, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
2. Reference work
   The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 7 (1910), Michael Ott: Pope Gregory XIII, 1 January 1910. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
3. Reference work
   Jewish Encyclopedia (1901 bis 1906): Popes, The (Gotthard Deutsch, Joseph Jacobs). Original (retrieved 15 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.