Christopher John Ryan (31 October 1943 – 20 February 2004) was a Scottish priest and scholar of Italian studies.
[3] After finishing his training in Rome, Ryan returned to Scotland to study Italian and politics at the University of Glasgow.
[1][3] He then moved to the University of Cambridge where he studied for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree under the supervision of Fr Kenelm Foster OP at St Edmund's College.
[1][4] His doctoral thesis, titled 'The Theme of Free Will in Dante's Minor Works, with Particular Reference to Aspects of the Cultural Background', was completed in 1977.
[2] In 1975, after completing an additional degree and while still working towards his doctorate, he was appointed Dean of St Edmund's College, Cambridge.
[6] After five years, in 1981, he moved to Canada where he became a Fellow in Western Theology at the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies of the University of Toronto.
[2] It was during his time in Canada that Ryan began to question "many aspects of Roman Catholic teaching" including Papal infallibility.
[1][4] For most of their marriage, they lived at Windsor Castle, where Henrietta worked as Deputy Curator of the Royal Collection of Prints and Drawings.