Background
Francis Xavier Murphy was born on June 16, 1914 in New York, United States. Son of Denis and Anne Elizabeth Murphy, a homemaker whose maiden name was Rynne. His father was a policeman. Francis grew up in the Bronx.
Francis Xavier Murphy was born on June 16, 1914 in New York, United States. Son of Denis and Anne Elizabeth Murphy, a homemaker whose maiden name was Rynne. His father was a policeman. Francis grew up in the Bronx.
He attended Immaculate Conception School. Then Murphy attended St. Mary’s College from 1928 to 1934. He received from St. Alphonsus his Bachelor of Arts in 1937. Later he obtained from Catholic University of America a Master of Arts in 1942 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1944.
In 1935 Murphy entered Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. In 1940 he became ordained Roman Catholic priest. Murphy was chaplain of the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, from 1944 to 1947. He assisted refugees and conducted research and publicity work in Catholic War Relief Services, Germany and Italy in 1948-1949, and was a writer from 1949 to 1951.
Shortly, Murphy served for the U.S. Army in seventh infantry regiment, third division. He also served as chaplain in Korea, Germany, and France between 1951 and 1958. Later Murphy became major and received Bronze Star.
After military service, he lectured at St. John’s University, NY, in 1957-1958. Then he became parish priest at Roman Catholic church, Bronx, NY, in 1958-1959. Later he worked as a professor of moral theology at Academia Alfonsiana, Lateran University, Rome, Italy from 1959 to 1976. Besides, he was television and radio commentator on news events concerning the Roman Catholic Church and the Vatican between 1958 and 1982.
In the meantime, he lectured in moral theology at Jesu Magister Institute from 1961 to 1963. Moreover, he was visiting professor of politics and humanities at Princeton University from 1971 to 1972, then adjunct professor of history at Johns Hopkins University from 1972 to 1974, visiting professor of philosophy at Towson State College in 1973-1974, and visiting lecturer in Vatican politics at American Universities Field Services between 1971 and 1976 and at Seton Hall University in 1983. Murphy was also rector of Holy Redeemer College, Washington, DC, from 1977 to 1981, then was a lecturer since 1981.
Meanwhile, Murphy was consultant to the U.S. State Department on Vatican Affairs since 1978 and a writer in residence at Holy Redeemer College from 1981 to 1985.
Francis Xavier Murphy died on April 11, 2002 in Annapolis, Maryland, United States.
Murphy was a member of Medieval Academy of America (member emeritus), Patristic Conference (member since 1955), Folger Shakespeare Library. He was also a fellow of Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Smithsonian Institution in 1972-1973.