RYAN, DERMOT

University professor, archbishop of Dublin; b. Dublin, June 27, 1924; d. Rome, Feb. 21, 1985. Ryan was ordained a priest in 1950. Among his academic degrees were the S.T.L. from the Gregorian University (1952), the S.S.L. from Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute (1954), and the M.A. in Eastern languages from the National University of Ireland (1954). He served as professor of fundamental dogmatic theology at Clonliffe College, Dublin, from 1954 until 1957, at which time he was appointed Professor of Eastern Languages at University College, Dublin.

Ordained Archbishop of Dublin by Pope Paul VI, Ryan served in that capacity from 1972 to 1984. It was a time of unprecedented population growth, in which the number of parishes increased from 134 to 189. Ryan found it necessary to address the negative effects of rapid urbanization, namely, lack of housing, increase in drug abuse, sectarian conflict, materialism, and a declining sense of moral responsibility. Many of the initiatives taken by the Dublin archdiocese with regard the poor, the deprived, the illiterate and the unemployed were the result of his inspiration. Archbishop Ryan took an active part in the delicate negotiations between Church and State over health care and education, and had to face new challenges to the Church's teachings on marriage, sexuality, and unborn life. Ryan was also an active ecumenist and played a leading role in inter-church talks in Ireland.

In his capacity as vice-president of the Irish episcopal conference, Ryan attended the Synods of Bishops in Rome in 1974, 1977, 1980 and 1983, and served as chairman of the English language group at each session. On April 11, 1984, Ryan was appointed Pro-Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. He died suddenly a few months later at his residence in Rome.

[j. wilson]