450 years ago, on May 13, 1572, after a conclave lasted less than a day, a man, to whom we owe our calendar and the scrupulous implementation of the decrees of the Council of Trent (1545-1563), was unanimously elected to the Chair of Peter: Gregory XIII, whose original name was Ugo Boncompagni.
There’s so much that could be said about him; a few remarks will suffice. Born in Bologna, north-central Italy, on January 1, 1501; professor of law in his hometown, between 1531 and 1539; an intellectual,…