Home Page for Calendar Reform
Today's date in the Gregorian Calendar
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Inter Gravissimas
Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian Reform of the Calendar
on February 24, 1582. The Bull containing this reform
has been nicknamed, Inter Gravissimas, after the
first two words of the text. These words mean, "Among the most
serious . . . " The first sentence reads,
Among the most serious tasks, last perhaps but not least
of those which in our pastoral duty we must attend to, is to complete
with the help of God what the Council of Trent has reserved to the
Apostolic see.
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Pope Gregory 13 (Ugo Boncampagni) |
With these words, Gregory expressed his vision of the 1582
calendar reform as completing a task called for by the
Council of Trent in 1563.
Here is the first page of Inter Gavissimas, as reproduced
in Christoph Clavius's Opera Mathematicorum:
Inter Gravissimas
(jpg 230kb)
Here is a transcription of the Latin text of
Inter Gravissimas; and an
English translation.
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