He will serve his ministry as a Scripture professor at the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum

On Monday, November 4th, in Jerusalem, Father Cristóbal Vilaroig, L.C., defended his doctoral thesis at the “French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem” (EBAF). The title of the thesis is “The Benedictus, a Christian Amidah? A study of Luke 1:68-79 in the light of Jewish prayer” (“El Benedictus, ¿una Amidah cristiana? Un estudio de Lucas 1, 68-79 a la luz de la oración judía”). EBAF is the oldest academic institution in Holy Land: founded in 1890.

Father Vilarroig conducted an exhaustive comparative study between the Benedictus and Jewish prayers of the Evangelical era, revealing surprising influences and connections. Today, as a faculty member at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, he continues to contribute to the field of biblical studies. His research required a deep knowledge of ancient and modern languages.

During the defense of his thesis, which took place in the morning, Father Cristóbal was accompanied by members of the Jerusalem Legion community.

Father Cristóbal has been living in the Jerusalem Legion community for the past few years. Since the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year, he has joined the faculty of the International College of the Legionaries of Christ in Rome. He will serve his ministry as a Scripture professor at the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, an ecclesiastical university entrusted to the Legion of Christ in Rome.

Photographs: X account of EBAF Jerusalem (@EBAFJerusalem)