HÖPFL, HILDEBRAND. - Benedictine exegete, b. at Ledau in Bohemia on 25 Nov. 1872, d. at Rome on 14 Feb. 1934. After completing his humanistic studies with the Benedictines of Prague and Seckau, and his theological studies at the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome (1896-1900), he taught biblical sciences at Beuron (1901-1903), at Jerusalem (1916-20), but particularly at Rome in the Anselmianum, where for fully 30 years (1903-1915 and 1920-34) he was an esteemed teacher and scholar in the biblical field.
He knew how to instill in his disciples his love for the word of God. His activity, however, was not limited to teaching. He was also a consultor of the Biblical Commission (1905) and of various Roman Congregations: of the Index (1913), of the Oriental Church (1918), and a qualificator of the Holy Office (1917). He was moreover an assiduous contributor to various periodicals and dictionaries, particularly to the Jahrbuch für Liturgiewissenschaft and to the DBs.
Among his works, his Introductionis in Sacros utriusque Testamenti libros compositum (2 vols., Subiaco 1921-22, several times reprinted at Rome, ex integro retractatum by his disciples A. Miller, B. Gut, A. Metzinger) achieved worldwide fame. Also to be noted are: Die höhere Bibelkritik. Studie über die moderne rationalistische Behandlung der Hl. Schrift (Paderborn 1901; 2nd ed. ibid. 1905); Das Buch der Bücher. Gedanken über Lektüre und Studium der Hl. Schrift (Freiburg 1904); Kard. Wilhelm Striets Annotationen zum Neuen Testament. Eine Verteidigung der Vulgata gegen Valla und Erasmus (Biblische Studien, 13, II, ibid. 1908); Beiträge zur Geschichte der Sixto-Klemmensischen Vulgata (ibid., 18, 1-111, ibid. 1913); Tractatus de inspiratione S. Scripturae et compendium hermeneuticae Biblicae catholicae (Rome 1925; 2nd ed. ibid. 1929; new ed. in 1940 and in 1950 edited by B. Gut).
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Adalberto Metzinger