Francis X. Murphy
Francis X. Murphy (1915–2002) was a Redemptorist chaplain and theology professor. He is most known for his articles about the Second Vatican Council, published under the pseudonym Xavier Rynne.[1]
Youth
Murphy was born to Irish immigrants in what was then called the Irish Bronx. His father was a policeman.
Early Priesthood
Murphy took vows as a Redemptorist in 1935 and was ordained a priest in 1940. Sent for further studies, Murphy first earned a masters degree and, then in 1945, a Ph.D. from the Catholic University of America writing Rufinus of Aquileia (345-411): His Life and Works. Subsequently, he was assigned as a naval chaplain at Annapolis, Maryland, with Catholic Relief Services in Europe after the Second World War and then as a chaplain with the United States military.
In 1959, Murphy became a professor of moral theology at Pontifical Lateran University.
Second Vatican Council
Murphy attended the Second Vatican Council which met at the Vatican from 1962-1965 as a journalist. Under the pseudonym Xavier Rynne, combining his middle name and his mother's maiden name, he revealed the inner workings of Vatican II to The New Yorker.[2] He is credited with setting the tone for the popular view of the council, depicting it as "conservative" versus "liberal".[3]
Later life
During the 1970s Murphy served as a visiting professor at Princeton University and later was connected with Johns Hopkins University. By the early 1980s he then served as rector of Holy Redeemer College in Washington, D.C..
He wrote more than 20 books in his lifetime, under his pseudonym and his own name.[2]
Bibliography
- John XXIII: The Story of the Pope (1959)
- Letters from Vatican City : Vatican Council II, first session : background and debates (1963)
- The second session; the debates and decrees of Vatican Council II, September 29 to December 4, 1963 (1964)
- The third session; the debates and decrees of Vatican Council II, September 14 to November 21, 1964 (1965)
- The fourth session; the debates and decrees of Vatican Council II, September 14 to December 8, 1965 (1966)
- The Pilgrim Pope (1979)
References
- ↑ Jones, Arthur (May 3, 2002). "Another luminary lost: F.X. Murphy dies at 87; as Xavier Rynne, exuberant scholar revealed the inside story of Vatican II". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Page, Eric (April 15, 2002). "Francis Murphy Dies at 87; Chronicled Vatican Debates". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
- ↑ Graeme Zielinski (April 12, 2002). "Priest Francis X. Murphy Dies; Wrote Dispatches on Vatican II". The Washington Post. p. B06. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
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