David Ryan, an abuse survivor featured in the RTÉ documentary *Blackrock Boys*, held a private audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on February 2, 2026. Ryan and his late brother Mark were repeatedly sexually abused by Spiritan priests at Blackrock College in Dublin during the 1970s. The brothers were unaware of each other’s experiences at the time. Mark passed away in 2023.
Mr Ryan became the first abuse survivor to meet the new pope in a private, one-on-one capacity. The meeting took place in the papal library at noon Vatican time. Deirdre Kenny, CEO of One in Four, accompanied Ryan to the entrance of the room, but the conversation itself remained private. Ryan wore cufflinks and an unworn shirt that had belonged to his deceased brother as a personal tribute.
He used the opportunity to convey the enduring pain and suffering endured by himself, his brother, and numerous other victims of clerical abuse within the Catholic Church in Ireland. The encounter marked a significant moment in ongoing efforts by survivors to address the legacy of institutional abuse.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
