TAPPER, RUARD. - Theologian, b. at Encusa (Belgium) 14 Feb. 1487, d. at Brussels 2 March 1559.
A pupil of Adrian Florensz (the future Adrian VI) at the University of Louvain, he became a priest, dean of the Faculty of Arts (1517), doctor in theology (1519), dean of the Faculty of Theology at Louvain (1530), and general inquisitor of the Netherlands (1537). His outstanding intellectual gifts and, above all, the balance and firmness he displayed in the office of inquisitor made him a widely respected and influential figure.
Desiring to offer, in clear formulas, the Catholic doctrine to be preached to the people and to be opposed to Protestant heresy, he drew up a series of 59 dogmatic propositions, which he later reduced to 32. The work, published at Louvain (1545), was very successful and earned the approval of Pius IV (1561). Tapper composed two commentaries on these propositions, syntheses of his university teaching: *Declaratio articulorum... adversus nostri temporis haereses* (Lyons 1554); *Explicationes articulorum... circa dogmata ecclesiastica* (Louvain 1555). Sent by Charles V to Trent (Sept. 1551), Tapper won the admiration of the Council and worked actively on the drafting of the 14th session (Sacrament of Penance). Returning to Louvain (Apr. 1552), he engaged in a decisive struggle Baius (v.) and concerned himself with the establishment of new bishoprics in his homeland.
Besides the works mentioned, he wrote: *Quaestio quodlibetica de effectibus, quos consuetudo operatur in foro conscientiae* (Louvain 1520); *Orationes theologicae* (Cologne 1577). Almost all of these were collected in: *R. Tapperi omnia, quae haberi potuerunt, opera* (ibid. 1582).