Pope Leo has promised to do all he can to help Irish abuse survivor David Ryan. 

The Blackrock College alumnus came to prominence after he featured in an RTÉ radio documentary, Blackrock Boys. 

It delved into the devastating impact sexual abuse at the school had on Mr Ryan, as well as his uncle Mark Ryan. 

On The Claire Byrne Show, Mr Ryan said he was “beginning to come back down to earth”, following his meeting with the Pope in the Vatican on Monday. 

“We both shook hands and he said, ‘Welcome David’,” he recalled. 

“Then we went into his room, he went to one side of his desk and I went to the other with two chairs on my side. 

“I pulled out the photograph of Mark when we were on the Late Late Show together. 

“Also, I brought over a St. Bridget's Cross as a gift to the Pope, which he received greatly and he was very appreciative of it.”

St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. Picture by: CALIN STAN / Alamy Stock Photo.

Mr Ryan explained that a meeting with the new Pontiff was something he “always wanted” and had to push “very hard” to get. 

The Pope told Mr Ryan he had listened to the documentary and was shocked by what happened to him. 

“He was so apologetic, his empathy was so sincere,” he said. 

“And to see it on his face, you could see the pain that I had gone through and what others have gone through.

“And the reason I have done this there is not just for publicity is not for me, but hopefully this will bring other people to come forward and to speak about their abuse, because a lot of men don't talk about it.” 

Mr Ryan added that “to be raped is not a nice thing”. 

“When I said it to him, he kind of gasped and he just shook his head,” he said. 

“He said, ‘I'm so sorry.’”

'Some very tough questions' 

During the meeting, Mr Ryan gave Pope Leo a number of questions he wanted answers to. 

While he is not going to make the questions public at this point, Mr Ryan said the Pontiff was receptive.  

“I gave him some very tough questions to answer, which were between myself and the Pope,” he said. 

“And he took it on board to go through them; we went through them together and he kept the questions that I gave him. 

“He said he would work on it and he would try and come back to me with some answers.” 

Main image: Pope Leo XIV. Picture by: Independent Photo Agency/Alamy Live News.