Pope Leo XIV Meets with Irish Abuse Survivor David Ryan - ‘He Felt My Pain’

‘He Felt My Pain’: Pope Leo XIV Meets with Irish Abuse Survivor David Ryan

VATICAN CITY — In a poignant encounter at the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo XIV met privately with David Ryan, a survivor of clerical abuse from Ireland, offering a profound gesture of pastoral closeness and a plea for truth.

The meeting focused on the harrowing experiences of Mr. Ryan and his late brother, Mark, during their time as students at Blackrock College and Willow Park in Dublin.

For Mr. Ryan, the audience served as a milestone in a forty-year journey toward healing and the realization that the burden of guilt belonged solely to his abusers, not the victims.

A Shepherd’s Empathy

Speaking to the press following the audience, Mr. Ryan described a Holy Father who did more than just listen; he shared in the sorrow of those wounded by members of the Church.

"I know it was genuine," Mr. Ryan said, reflecting on the Pope’s reaction to his story. "He was so sorry to hear of my pain, for my family’s pain, and for the other survivors that haven’t come forward yet. He felt my pain... he knows what pain I had gone through."

The Pope reportedly expressed a firm hope that such encounters would encourage other survivors to break their silence. According to Mr. Ryan, the Holy Father emphasized:

"This is what I want: other people to come forward."

Symbols of Faith and Remembrance

The meeting was marked by deeply personal exchanges. Mr. Ryan presented the Holy Father with a lapel pin of St. Brigid of Kildare, whose feast day the Church celebrated on February 1.

He also shared a photograph of his brother, Mark, who passed away suddenly in 2023 at the age of 62. Mark, who also suffered abuse at the Spiritan-run school, was a central part of the testimony Mr. Ryan provided to the Pope, ensuring that his brother’s memory was present in the heart of the Church.

A Call to Healing

The encounter follows the widespread impact of a 2022 documentary which brought the historical abuses at Blackrock College to light. For many in the Irish Church, this meeting is seen as a necessary step in the ongoing process of accountability and spiritual renewal.

"What an experience," Mr. Ryan concluded. "I’ll never forget it. Never, never forget it."

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-02/pope-leo-xiv-ireland-blackrock-college-abuse-survivor.html