Page "Pope Gregory XIII" Paragraph 6

Once in the chair of Saint Peter, Gregory XIII's rather worldly concerns became secondary and he dedicated himself to reform of the Catholic Church.

He committed himself to putting into practice the recommendations of the Council of Trent.

He allowed no exceptions for cardinals to the rule that bishops must take up residence in their sees, and designated a committee to update the Index of Forbidden Books.

He was the patron of a new and greatly improved edition of the Corpus juris canonici.

In a time of considerable centralisation of power, Gregory XIII abolished the Cardinals Consistories, replacing them with Colleges, and appointing specific tasks for these colleges to work on.

He was renowned for having a fierce independence ; some confidants noted that he neither welcomed interventions nor sought advice.

The power of the papacy increased under him, whereas the influence and power of the cardinals substantially decreased.