GROPPER, KASPAR. – German apostolic nuncio, b. at Soest (Lower Germany) in 1519, d. at Cologne on 19 March 1594.
Brother of Johann, after holding ecclesiastical offices in his homeland, he went to Rome in 1558 and was appointed auditor of the Rota. On 19 July 1573,
he was sent by Gregory XIII as nuncio to south-western Germany, with the task of conducting the apostolic visitation and negotiating the election of the young Duke Giovanni Guglielmo of Cleve as coadjutor to the bishop of Münster. When the bishop died and a struggle for the succession arose, G. proved unable to display adequate diplomatic skill. In 1577, also for reasons of health, he was replaced in his mission by the nuncio Bartolomeo Portia.
BIBL.: J. Hansen, Nuntiaturberichte, I-II, Berlin 1892-94; W. E. Schwarz, Die Nuntiatur-Korresp. K. G., Paderborn 1898; Pastor, IX, see indexes. Piero Sannazzaro