Farewell to Fr. Frank Moloney

Farewell to Fr. Frank Moloney, Salesian Scripture Scholar

(ANS – Melbourne, Australia – November 10, 2025) — Renowned Australian biblical scholar and Salesian priest, Prof. Francis J. Moloney, died peacefully in his hometown of Melbourne on November 8 at the age of 85, concluding a life of extraordinary fidelity, study and pastoral love.

Born in 1940, Fr. Moloney joined the Salesians of Don Bosco in 1960 and was ordained a priest in 1970. His academic career was distinguished and international. He studied theology and Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome and the Pontifical Biblical Institute, and later obtained his doctorate at the University of Oxford. His teaching ministry extended to Europe, Israel, the United States, Southeast Asia, and Australia, always animated by the deep conviction that “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent, Jesus Christ” (John 17:3).

In 1984, Pope John Paul II appointed Fr. Moloney a member of the International Theological Commission, where he served for 18 years, contributing to the Church’s theological engagement with Scripture. In 1992, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to religion, and in 1994, he became Founding Professor of Theology at the Australian Catholic University. He was professor of Sacred Scripture at the Catholic University of America (Washington) for 7 years (1999-2006), his tenure ended when he was appointed superior of the Salesian province of Australia (2006-2012).  He led the province with pastoral warmth, intellectual depth, and a renewed commitment to youth ministry and biblical formation.

A world-renowned scholar of the Gospel of John, Fr. Moloney is the author of over 50 books and countless articles on the Gospels of John and Mark and the Book of Revelation. His commentaries – such as The Gospel of John: Text and Context, Belief in the Word, and The Living Voice of the Gospel – are considered fundamental texts in contemporary biblical studies. His last academic position was as senior research fellow at the Catholic Theological College in Melbourne, which is part of the University of Divinity.

In recent years, Fr. Moloney reached thousands of people through his weekly podcast, Audio Divina, which offered Sunday reflections on the Scriptures. The podcast became a valuable resource for priests, catechists, and lay faithful around the world, embodying his lifelong mission: to make the Word of God accessible, alive, and transformative.

Archbishop Timothy J. Costelloe, SDB, of Perth, Australia, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, paid tribute to Fr. Moloney’s gift of friendship and his enduring love for young people: “He loved sincerely and generously and was deeply loved and admired in return. Having spent his life making known the Christ of the Gospels, may Fr. Moloney now enter the fullness of eternal life and contemplate the Lord whom he served so faithfully.”