Pope Gregory XV

About Pope Gregory XV

Pope Gregory XV, reigning from 1621 until his death in 1623, was a significant religious figure whose tenure marked a crucial period in the Catholic Counter-Reformation. Though his pontificate was brief, he is historically recognized for canonizing Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, solidifying the Jesuit order’s global influence. MIT's Pantheon project acknowledges this lasting impact, ranking him at #759 among history's most influential figures.

Despite this high historical ranking, Pope Gregory XV currently experiences a notable 'Attention Gap' online. His 2025 annualized Wikipedia pageviews totaled just 44K, placing him at an attention deficit of -8x compared to his historical importance. This means that for a figure ranked #759 in global cultural impact, the modern internet pays far less attention than expected. To illustrate this contrast, the contemporary religious figure Bartholomew the Apostle (#767 importance) commands over 11 times the annual views, showing a significant disparity in contemporary digital interest.

Interestingly, the data indicates that while his baseline attention is low, interest in the late pontiff is growing, showing a Year-over-Year Change of +43.1%. However, recent interest appears to be slightly waning, with a -15% drop in momentum between Q1 and Q3 of 2025.