Pope Leo XIV will hold a private audience with abuse survivor David Ryan who featured in the RTÉ Radio documentary Blackrock Boys.
In November 2022, the Doc on One programme revealed through interviews with Mr Ryan and his brother Mark, that they had been repeatedly sexually abused at Blackrock College during the 1970s.
The school is run by the Spiritan Order, formally known as the Holy Ghost Order.
Hundreds of victims from many fee-paying schools across Ireland reported alleged historical sexual abuse following the Blackrock Boys documentary.
Some revealed their abuse for the first time.
David Ryan took it upon himself to request a meeting with the head of the Catholic Church about the shame and hurt they experienced as a result of the abuse.
Mark Ryan was sceptical that such a meeting would take place and, sadly, he died in 2023.
In the absence of his brother, David continued in his quest for a meeting and wrote to the Vatican.
Despite being on the cusp of a meeting with Pope Francis, the health of the former pontiff declined and he died last year.
Following the election of Pope Leo, David Ryan began the process of writing to the Vatican again.
Just before Christmas, he was informed that he would have a private audience with the pope at the Vatican library on Monday 2 February.
Mr Ryan has largely withheld what he will say to Pope Leo. However, he has confirmed to RTÉ News that he will outline the pain and suffering experienced by himself, his brother and all the other victims of abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
He will be accompanied by a number of people to Rome this weekend, including One in Four CEO Deirdre Kenny.
His meeting with Pope Leo will be private.
It is likely that Mr Ryan will outline the impact the documentary has had on wider Irish society at the private audience.
Blackrock Boys resulted in a Scoping Inquiry into historical allegations of sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders.
It found that there were 2,395 allegations of sexual abuse in respect of 308 schools recorded by the religious orders that ran the schools.
The allegations were made in respect of 884 distinct alleged abusers.
The religious orders' records indicated that over half of the 884 people accused of historical sexual abuse are known to be deceased and there is a particularly high number of allegations in special schools.
Mr Ryan spoke on radio at the time of its publication to say he had been abused by the founder of St Declan's school, Fr Dermot Casey, who is now deceased, during the 1970s before he attended Blackrock College.
Prior to the publication of the scoping Inquiry, the Jesuit Order had revealed that Fr Casey had been the subject of 17 complaints of child sexual abuse between the 1950s and the 1970s.
Mr Ryan was sent to St Declan’s Special School prior to Blackrock College because he was severely dyslexic.
He never told his late brother Mark what had happened at St Declan's Special School until they were walking to court for the case regarding abuse at Blackrock College.
The Scoping Inquiry led to the establishment by the Government of a Commission of Investigation into allegations of historical sexual abuse in schools across the country.
The commission, which is being led by Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, began its work late last year.
Its latest update has stated that it will conduct a survey this year with those who have information relating to historical child sexual abuse in all day and boarding schools, including personal experiences.
