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.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More