Pope Gregory XVI

About Pope Gregory XVI

Pope Gregory XVI, reigning as pontiff from 1831 to 1846, was a significant religious figure whose tenure was defined by staunch conservatism and resistance to the rising tide of liberalism and nationalism across Europe. He is historically ranked by the Pantheon project at #449 in global influence, primarily due to his role as the head of the Catholic Church during a period of intense political upheaval, including overseeing the Papal States and responding to revolutions. His policies often involved asserting papal authority and maintaining traditional structures, impacting religious and political affairs across the continent during the early to mid-19th century.

In the modern digital landscape of 2025, Gregory XVI is showing a notable, if small, engagement surge, with Wikipedia views increasing by +146.2% year-over-year to reach 166K annualized views. However, this attention does not fully match his historical standing, resulting in an Attention Gap of -2x, indicating he is underattended relative to his historical importance. For comparison, the much lower-ranked religious figure James, brother of Jesus (#524 importance), garners 491K views, demonstrating a clear discrepancy where an earlier religious figure receives significantly more modern online attention than the 19th-century Pope.

Despite the positive year-over-year growth, momentum slowed in 2025, with a -22% drop between Q1 and Q3, suggesting this recent increase in interest may not be sustained.