Gregory XV (Alessandro Ludovisi),
Pope, was born at Bologna, 1553, made pope Feb. 9,1621, and died July 18, 1623. With the aid of his nephew, cardinal Ludorico, he signalized his brief reign by several measures of great importance to the Roman Church. He urged on emperor Ferdinand to exterminate Protestantism from the empire; he established the College of the Propaganda (See PROPAGANDA); and he greatly increased the missionary enterprises of Rome in South America, Abyssinia, China, and India. The dominion of the Church was more widely extended in his reign than at any former period of her history. — Ranke, Hist. of Papacy, ii, 64 sq.