In Memoriam Monsignor Francis Frost

The Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity learned with sadness of the death of Monsignor Francis Frost, Catholic priest, theologian, and dedicated servant of Christian unity, who passed away on 4 January 2026 at the age of 93.

Ordained a priest for the Diocese of Salford, England, in 1958, Monsignor Frost devoted his life to theological teaching, pastoral ministry, and ecumenical engagement. Holding a doctorate in theology, he made a lasting contribution to dialogue between the Catholic Church and other Christian traditions, particularly Methodism. He served on the Joint Commission for Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council. He also contributed to major ecumenical reference works, including the Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement, first published by WCC Publications in 1991.

Monsignor Frost taught at the Faculty of Theology in Lille from 1968 to 1989 and, from 1989 to 1996, at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland, where he became the first Catholic priest appointed as a permanent member of its faculty. Since that time, a Catholic professor appointed and seconded by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity has always been part of the Institute’s faculty, reflecting the Catholic Church’s enduring commitment to ecumenical formation and academic collaboration at Bossey.

From 1996 onwards, Monsignor Frost served as professor and formator at the seminary of the Society of Mary of the Valley (SMV) in Ars, France, continuing his ministry of theological education.

The Dicastery gives thanks for his life and entrusts him to the mercy of God, praying that the witness of his ecumenical service may continue to inspire the Church’s journey toward unity.

Requiescat in pace