Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has met with Irish sexual abuse survivor David Ryan, listening at length to his personal account of the abuse he and his late brother endured as students at a Catholic secondary school in Ireland. The encounter, described by Ryan as deeply moving, took place as the Church marked the feast of St. Brigid of Kildare.
David Ryan, who shared his story publicly in a November 2022 RTÉ Radio 1 documentary, attended Blackrock College and its preparatory school, Willow Park, in County Dublin, alongside his brother Mark. The abuse occurred when the two were between the ages of 12 and 17.
Speaking to journalists after the private audience, Ryan said Pope Leo XIV gave him his full attention and listened closely as he recounted the trauma he and his brother suffered. According to Ryan, the Pope expressed a clear desire that survivors continue to come forward and speak openly about their experiences.
“He said that by me speaking today, hopefully others would be encouraged to come forward and talk about what they went through,” Ryan recalled. “That is what he wants to give others the courage to speak.”
Ryan said he was struck by the Pope’s sincerity and compassion, noting that the Pontiff acknowledged not only his suffering but also the pain endured by his family and by survivors who have yet to share their stories.
“He was deeply sorry to hear of my pain, my family’s pain, and the pain of those who still haven’t come forward,” Ryan said. “I could feel that it was genuine.”
Reflecting on the long personal journey that led to the meeting, Ryan said it took him four decades to fully understand that the abuse he suffered was not his fault, but the responsibility of those who committed it. He described the audience with Pope Leo as a significant moment of affirmation and healing.
“I am so glad I did it,” he said. “It meant more than I can put into words.”
During the meeting, Ryan presented Pope Leo XIV with a lapel pin of St. Brigid of Kildare, whose feast day was being celebrated on February 1. He also showed the Pope a photograph of his brother Mark, who was also a survivor of abuse at Blackrock College and who died suddenly in 2023 at the age of 62.
Describing the encounter afterward, Ryan said the experience would stay with him for the rest of his life. “What an experience,” he said. “I’ll never forget it. His sincerity, his empathy he truly felt my pain. He hasn’t lived my experience, but he understood the suffering I went through, and what my family went through.”
The meeting adds to ongoing efforts within the Church to listen directly to survivors, acknowledge past failures, and promote a culture of accountability, transparency, and care for those harmed by abuse.