Johann Gropper

Johannes Gropper, Johann Gropper ( born February 24, 1503 Soest, North Rhine -Westphalia, † March 13, 1559 in Rome) was a Catholic theologian, jurist and politician Church during the Reformation. He is regarded as a defender of the Catholic faith in the Archdiocese of Cologne during the so-called Reformation in Cologne.

Life

Gropper began in 1516 in Cologne with the study of philosophy and law, and his doctorate at the November 7, 1525 a doctorate in law. 1524 or 1525 he was ordained a priest. In September 1525 he was prosecuted ex officio of the Provost Hermann of Neuenahr ( 1492-1530 ), in September 1526 Privy Seal, the Archbishop of Cologne, Hermann von Wied, on September 23, 1527 Scholaster of the St. Gereon. 1529 Gropper was a professor at the Law Faculty of the University of Cologne for a short time. Gropper took this year at the second Diet of Speyer in 1530 and at the Diet of Augsburg as a representative of the Bishop of Münster in part. From 1530 he was a canon, and later parish priest and dean in Soest. 1532 was Gropper canons and the following year also Scholaster from 1543 and dean at Viktorstift in Xanten. 1533 he was on leave from the service when the Archbishop of Cologne and was dedicated to preparing the Cologne Provincial Council, which took place from 7 to 10 March 1536 and the reform of the electoral law country. Since October 30, 1534 canon in Cologne, he wrote in 1538 the " Enchiridion " (Institutes compendiaria doctrinae christianae in concilio provinciali pollicita ), in which he approached the Reformation ideas in the doctrine of justification, but otherwise was of the Catholic Church doctrine. Together with Julius von Pflug 1540 he took part in the religious discussions in Haguenau and Worms in part, and in 1541 at the Diet of Regensburg, where he led the party of " Exspekanten " and the evangelical Christians made ​​major concessions. In February 1542 Gropper led by Martin Bucer discussions about a reform of the Church in the Archdiocese of Cologne. As Bucer Archbishop of Wied in December 1542 was awarded the contract to maintain an evangelical sermon in the Bonner Münster, Gropper became the enemy of Bucer. As Archbishop Hermann von Wied, the Reformation sought to introduce in the Archbishopric of Cologne and in May 1543 appointed Philipp Melanchthon and other Protestant theologians to Cologne, Gropper fought the Archbishop with the help of the cathedral chapter and obtained that Bucer and other evangelical preachers were released in August 1543. Finally, the chapter appealed in September 1544 Pope and the Emperor Charles V. and requested a dismissal of the archbishop. Already in December 1544 came to a split in the chapter by Henry of Stollberg and the parliament in Bonn agreed to Reformation ideas of the archbishop. It was only on January 2, 1546 was Hermann von Wied of Pope Paul III. suspended, excommunicated and deposed on April 16, on July 3. Adolf of Schaumburg was appointed archbishop and Gropper was born on July 2, 1548 Provost of Cassius - pin in Bonn. With his appointment as provost, he renounced his Domkanonikat. With the help of the Jesuits Gropper has sought to recatholicization in the archbishopric of Cologne. He was a chief editor of the Augsburg Interim of 1548, which he conducted in Soest with moderate success. 1551/52 he took part in the Council of Trent. An appointment as cardinal by Pope Paul IV on December 20, 1555, he probably wanted to avoid for health reasons, but was finally on January 13, 1556 Cardinal Deacon of the titular church of Santa Lucia in Orphea. Gropper 1558 traveled with his brother Kaspar Gropper to Rome, because had been indicted for his dogmatic writings to the Inquisition of heresy. But he could defend himself and was an advisor to the Pope in matters of German church policy. In Rome Gropper lived in the Vatican, where he also died. At his funeral in the church of Santa Maria dell'Anima Pope Paul IV itself held the eulogy. Still on March 15, 1559 was given by the pope from a consistory at which he himself had come the diseased Cardinals, on which he once again his great appreciation Gropper expressed.

See also: List of Cologne canons

Work

In his book Enchiridion Christiane institutionis from 1538 Gropper refers to the Apostolic Succession, which is necessary for the valid consecration of a priest. This concept comes from Irenaeus of Lyon and finds himself in his work Adversus Haeresis. Up to Gropper's work, the idea of ​​apostolic succession was forgotten in the church; Peter Lombard about, the author of the famous aphorisms they did not know. On Lomabardus also cites Luther. Melanchton finally goes into Gropper and contradicts him in his work " From the Church and the authority of the Word of God " by 1539.

• Christian and Catholische against downs in Eyns Erwirdigen Dhomcapittels to Coellen, resist the book of gnanter Reformation. Coloniae excudebat Iaspar Gennepæus ..... Anno 1544 ( City Library Mainz; Signed XIII m: 2 ° / 33 (R))