Antanas Rubšys
Garbės daktaras / Honorary Doctor (Suteiktas vardas 1996-04-17)
Antanas Rubšys, a prelate and professor, laureate of the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts, renowned for translating the Old Testament into Lithuanian, was awarded the VMU honorary doctorate regalia in 1996.
Born on 5 November 1923, in Bučiai, Laukuva district, he completed his secondary education at the Šilalė Gymnasium in 1942 and then studied at the Telšiai Seminary. After fleeing to Germany, he continued his theological studies at the Eichstätt Seminary in 1944-1945 and later pursued philosophy and theology studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he obtained a licentiate in theology and was ordained a priest. From 1949 to 1951 and from 1957 to 1958, he studied ancient languages, biblical exegesis, and Oriental archaeology at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, earning a licentiate in Sacred Scripture in 1951. He also studied Hebrew language and Oriental archaeology at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem from 1971 to 1972.
In 1951, Antanas Rubšys moved to the USA, where he taught at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in San Diego, St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, and Manhattan College. At the latter, he began serving as a professor in the Department of Religious Studies in 1965. After Lithuania regained its independence, he taught Sacred Scripture at Lithuanian seminaries and higher education institutions.
Prof. Rubšys also participated in archaeological expeditions to biblical sites in Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Greece, and made scientific visits to Malta, Cyprus, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Israel. Authorised by the Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference and expatriate bishop Paulius Antanas Baltakis, he translated the Old Testament from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages. Thanks to the donations of the Lithuanian diaspora community and the efforts of Prelate Vytautas Balčiūnas, his translation was published in the USA in 1992-1993 by the publishing house “Krikščionis gyvenime” (Christian in Life), of which Antanas Rubšys had been a member of the editorial board since 1983. An improved version of the translation, edited by Dr. Jonas Boguta, was published in Lithuania in 1998 by the publishing house “Katalikų pasaulis” (Catholic World) in the book “Holy Bible” (including the New Testament translated by priest Česlovas Kavaliauskas). The complete “Holy Bible” was republished in an ecumenical edition by the Lithuanian Bible Society in 1999. Prof. Rubšys authored significant works on biblical themes, including “Raktas į Naująjį Testamentą” (A Key to the New Testament), “Raktas į Senąjį Testamentą” (A Key to the Old Testament), and “Šventojo Rašto kraštuose” (In the Lands of the Holy Bible), and published about 150 articles on the topics of the Holy Bible in Lithuanian and English.
Prelate Prof. Antanas Rubšys made significant contributions to the strengthening of the Christian faith both in the diaspora and in his homeland through his fundamental biblical research, translations, and pedagogical activities. He collaborated in journals and newspapers “Aidai”, “Draugas”, “Darbininkas”, “Tėviškės žiburiai”, „Ateitis”, and “Laiškai lietuviams” and participated in Symposiums on Arts and Sciences, as well as conferences of the Lithuanian Catholic Academy of Science (LCAS). He also presented scholarly papers in LCAS publications. He was a member of the American Bible Society, Society of Biblical Literature, American Oriental Society, Society for the Study of Islamic Countries, and the Re-establishment Senate of VMU. In 1995 he became President of the Lithuanian Bible Society.
Prelate Prof. Antanas Rubšys passed away on 27 August 2002 in New York and was buried in Laukuva, Lithuania.
Based on information provided by VMU Library.
