In this week's roundup of abortion-related news, a pregnant students' rights act stalls in the Senate while the Texas attorney general is suing a mail-order abortion provider.
Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.
Pregnant students' rights act stalls in Senate
A bill that would ensure pregnant college students are informed of their rights failed to pass in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.
The bill stalled after passing in the U.S. House of Representatives last week. The Pregnant Students' Rights Act would require colleges to provide information to mothers about on-campus resources that exist to help them carry their babies to term and care for their babies after birth as well as other accommodations.
In addition, the bill would give students information on how to file a discrimination complaint based on pregnancy if needed.
Proponents say the bill was about supporting women and sharing information about the resources available to them.
"No student should have to choose between her child and her education, and, in fact, many services are in place for those who are building their families' future at school," said Kristan Hawkins, head of Students for Life of America. "The least that we can do is simply share information with young families about all those ready to help."
Texas attorney general sues abortionist for mailing pills allegedly used in crime
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing an abortionist for allegedly sending illegal abortion drugs into Texas following a reported poisoning.
Paxton filed the lawsuit against Debra Lynch, a Delaware-based nurse practitioner who ships abortion drugs to Texas through the organization Her Safe Harbor.
According to two recent lawsuits in Texas, two fathers illegally purchased abortion drugs. In one case, a man allegedly poisoned his girlfriend with the pill, sending her to the hospital and killing her unborn child.
"This illegal operation endangers the lives of unborn children and their mothers and must be stopped," the lawsuit reads.
The attorney general has also taken legal action against two other abortion drug providers, Plan C and Coeytaux, to prevent them from shipping abortion pills to Texas residents, according to a press release from his office.
"The day of reckoning for this radical out-of-state abortion drug trafficker is here," said Paxton in a Jan. 27 statement. "No one, regardless of where they live, will be freely allowed to aid in the murder of unborn children in Texas."
Eastern European leaders and Catholic bishops warn that the continent's collapsing birth rates reflect a cultural crisis that financial incentives alone cannot solve.
When Pope Leo XIV warned diplomats this month that families face "progressive institutional marginalization" in global policy, he described a crisis that Eastern European leaders are confronting with particular urgency.
At a Jan. 14 conference in Lithuania's Parliament, experts and policymakers from across the region gathered to address what many called an existential demographic challenge — declining birth rates that threaten the future of European nations.
In his Jan. 9 address to the Diplomatic Corps, the pope had emphasized that "despite its centrality, the institution of the family faces two crucial challenges today. On the one hand, there is a worrying tendency in the international system to neglect and underestimate its fundamental social role, leading to its progressive institutional marginalization."
Discussions on Europe's birth rate decline
Participants at the Lithuanian conference examined how falling fertility rates and shrinking populations are reshaping the future of European nations, affecting labor markets, economic sustainability, and long-term state capacity. Several speakers argued that the crisis is not simply financial or administrative but cultural and civilizational in scope.
Participants attend a conference on Europe's declining birth rates in Lithuania's Parliament on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2026. | Credit: Lithuanian Parliament/Olga Posaškova
Bishop Saulius Bužauskas of Kaunas addressed the gathering and framed the decline in births as a moral and spiritual challenge rooted in weakening marriage, family life, and respect for human dignity. He explained that stable family life must again be recognized as a fundamental social good.
"It is important for young people to see that family is not a risk but an opportunity, that children are not a burden but the greatest gift, that having a family is not an exception but a natural and meaningful path in life," he said. He added that reversing demographic trends requires both cultural renewal and practical support, so that families "are not left alone with their concerns but receive help and support."
Hungary's long-term model
Árpád József Mészáros, strategic vice president of the Mária Kopp Institute for Demography and Families, described Hungary's fertility strategy as a long-term social project rather than a quick demographic fix. He said the country began systematically expanding family-support measures in 2011, when the total fertility rate stood at an average of 1.23 children per woman, among the lowest in Europe and well below the 2.1 replacement level. The rate has since risen to around 1.51 by 2023, he reported, though demographic pressures remain significant.
Mészáros presented housing support as one of the most influential tools of the government's family policy. He pointed to subsidized loans for married couples, interest exemptions after the first child, partial loan reductions after the second, and full debt cancellation after the third, describing these measures as designed to ease financial barriers and strengthen long-term family stability.
He also discussed broader social support, including expanded child care infrastructure, discounted meals for children, and workplace and municipal "family-friendly" initiatives aimed at making it easier to balance work and parenting. Alongside these measures, he noted rising homeownership and improved living standards among families, suggesting that some of the policy's strongest effects may be indirect but socially significant.
Money alone cannot reverse value shifts
Agnese Irbe, OFS, founder of the Latvian Philosophers' Association "Peripatos," offered a more cautionary diagnosis. She explained that Latvia's fertility decline reflects a generational shift in values that cannot be solved simply through incentives or social benefits.
Citing a 2022 University of Latvia survey, Irbe pointed to a steep drop in the importance young people attach to "children and family," falling from a high priority in 2004 to near the bottom of the rankings by 2022. In her view, this shift limits what state policy can achieve, since financial support cannot compensate for a weakening cultural desire for marriage and childbearing.
Overall, Irbe presented Latvia as a case where the limitations of family policy lie not only in budgets or programs but also in the broader societal messages shaping the next generation's choices.
Fertility decline is only the visible tip
Helena Hlubocká, general secretary of Slovakia's Christian Union party, placed Europe's fertility decline in a larger historical context. She traced major shifts in household and family structures since the 1980s, including a rise in childless households, growing instability in partnerships, and more couples stopping pregnancies after their first child.
Using an "iceberg" analogy, Hlubocká argued that declining fertility is only the most visible part of a deeper social transformation that has taken decades to form. She warned that narrowly technocratic solutions are unlikely to succeed in cultures increasingly shaped by individualism, where long-term family commitments are weakened and childbearing is seen as increasingly irrational.
Participants of the conference cross themselves during the opening prayer at Lithuania's Parliament on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2026. | Credit: Lithuanian Parliament/Olga Posaškova
Instead, she presented fertility as the outcome of a wider "relational ecosystem" rooted in stable marriage, intergenerational bonds, and a shared moral vision. Without restoring a social story based on continuity, belonging, and mutual responsibility across generations, she suggested demographic recovery would remain out of reach.
Poland's call for family-centered policy and international coordination
Jerzy Kwasniewski, president of Ordo Iuris, framed demographic decline as a strategic crisis that requires coordinated family-centered responses both nationally and internationally. Referring to Poland as an example, he warned that fertility rates across parts of Europe have fallen far below replacement and that the consequences will be structural rather than temporary.
Kwasniewski also explicitly linked family policy to Catholic social teaching. He explained that it must be rooted in solidarity rather than individualism and described the family as "a basic social unit of the society." In his view, public policy should recognize this social contribution and provide stronger, deliberate support for families for the sake of the common good.
A resolution calling for strategic, coordinated family policy
The conference concluded with a resolution urging governments to treat family policy as a strategic national priority rather than a fragmented set of welfare measures. It called for coordinated action across taxation, housing, education, health care, employment, and regional development, so that young families can raise children without poverty, insecurity, or structural barriers.
The resolution also stressed the importance of strengthening cultural and educational support for long-term family commitment.
Themes in the resolution echoed Catholic social teaching, particularly solidarity and subsidiarity, by presenting the family as the foundation of society. This reflects St. John Paul II's description of the family as the "first and vital cell of society" in Familiaris Consortio, as well as Pope Francis' emphasis in Amoris Laetitia that families require sustained and practical support to thrive amid modern pressures.
Iraq's Christians are on edge as regional instability raises security concerns.
Iraq's Christian communities are openly expressing concern about a renewed threat from the Islamic State (ISIS) — especially in light of recent developments in Syrian territory along the Iraq border and the transfer of thousands of ISIS detainees from prisons in northeastern Syria to what the Iraqi government describes as a "safe site" in Iraq intended to preempt threats to the country's national security.
Echoing these concerns, Bishop Bashar Matti Warda, Chaldean archbishop of Erbil, highlighted the widening circle of renewed violence emanating from Syria. He noted that "history teaches us that fire does not recognize borders" and that violence has a way of expanding from one place to unsettle entire regions.
In a conversation with ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Warda said that both Syrian and Iraqi families aspire to live in peace, but the return of violence naturally raises deep fears about family safety and the stability that many have worked on for many years.
Warda explained that the anxiety of civilians — particularly those whose wounds from past conflicts have not yet healed — is not weakness but rather a memory of past turmoil and a fear of repeating tragedy.
He emphasized the historic experience of violence and sectarian conflict endured by Iraq's Christian communities. Two-thirds of Iraq's Christians once left not by choice but out of a profound feeling that their homeland could no longer protect them. Today, that legacy fuels fears that a resurgence of conflict could threaten not only Christians but also all Iraq's people, Warda said.
Despite these fears, the bishop stressed the community's continued commitment to hope — not as denial of reality but as confidence in the possibility of a better future. He affirmed that the strongest response to violence is rooted in human dignity, shared life, and calm dialogue — rejecting incitement and building bridges.
"Violence devoid of wisdom, even when it appears limited today, can tomorrow become a much wider tragedy we all know the price of," he said.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
The pontiff echoed Cuban bishops' call for "sincere and effective" talks after Washington announced new measures tightening economic pressure on the island.
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday voiced "great concern" over news of rising tensions between Cuba and the United States of America, urging leaders to pursue "sincere and effective" dialogue to avoid violence and further suffering for the Cuban people.
His appeal, delivered after he recited the Angelus from the Apostolic Palace, came after Donald Trump's administration issued an executive order late Thursday intensifying economic pressure on the island, including the possibility of imposing tariffs on countries that supply crude oil to Cuba. The order describes Cuba's posture toward the U.S. as hostile and calls it a "national threat."
The pope explicitly aligned himself with an appeal from Cuba's bishops and called on those responsible to choose dialogue over escalation: "I join the message of the Cuban bishops, inviting all those responsible to promote a sincere and effective dialogue, to avoid violence and any action that could increase the sufferings of the dear Cuban people."
He then entrusted the Cuban people to the patroness of the island: "May the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre assist and protect all the children of that beloved land!"
Beatitudes as God's lights 'in the half-light of history'
Earlier in his Angelus reflection, the pope focused on the Gospel Beatitudes, calling them "lights that the Lord kindles in the half-light of history," revealing God's saving plan carried out through Christ "by the power of the Holy Spirit."
He said Christ gives the disciples a "new law" written in hearts rather than on stone — one that "renews our life and makes it good, even when to the world it seems failed and wretched." Only God, he said, can truly call the poor and afflicted blessed, satisfy those who seek peace and justice, and give joy to the meek, merciful, and pure of heart.
"In persecution, God is the source of redemption; in falsehood, he is the anchor of truth," the pope said, adding that Jesus therefore proclaims: "Rejoice and be glad!"
Prayers for disaster victims, peace appeal ahead of Olympics
After the Angelus, the pope said he was praying for victims of a landslide at a mine in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He asked for prayers as well for the dead and those suffering due to storms that recently struck Portugal and southern Italy, and he noted the severe flooding affecting Mozambique.
Marking Italy's National Day of Civilian Victims of Wars and Conflicts in the World, the pope lamented the ongoing toll of armed actions that violate morality and law, and said victims will be truly honored when this "intolerable injustice" ends.
Looking ahead to the 2026 Winter Olympics, Leo offered good wishes to organizers and athletes and expressed hope that the ancient Olympic truce tradition might prompt "concrete gestures of détente and dialogue" by those in authority.
This story was first publishedin two parts by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
This will be the first public display of the beloved saint's bodily remains.
About 350,000 people have registered to venerate the relics of St. Francis of Assisi — the first public display of the bodily remains of the beloved saint.
From Feb. 22 to March 22, the Lower Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi will welcome pilgrims from around the world who will come to the Italian city to pray before the body of the man whom ecclesial tradition has described as "the living mirror of the Gospel."
The event marks a moment of great historical and spiritual importance on the 800th anniversary of the saint's death: For the first time, his body will be transferred from its resting place in an underground chapel and placed in front of the papal altar in the Lower Basilica. In this way, the church will hold a "revealed treasure" for one month, granting pilgrims time for veneration and prayer.
Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a special jubilee year for St. Francis of Assisi on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of his death. The year will extend until Jan. 10, 2027, during which the faithful may obtain a plenary indulgence.
A body hidden for centuries
After his death in 1226, St. Francis was buried beneath the main altar of the Lower Basilica in a location that was difficult to access in order to prevent any attempts to steal his remains. His body remained hidden there for centuries until it was discovered on the night of Dec. 12–13, 1818. Following an official examination of the tomb in 1819, the identity of the remains of the Poor Man of Assisi was confirmed.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, the tomb was opened twice: first in 1978 and then in 2015. Each time, the conviction was renewed that the saint's body is a powerful sign of the love that moved him. It was shown to be the body of a man worn down by illness and by the wounds of Christ that he bore during the last two years of his life, pointing to his living of the Gospel until the very end.
St. Francis of Assisi's remains after his tomb was opened in 2015. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Sacred Convent of Assisi
Events accompanying the display of the remains
Before the public display of the saint's body to the faithful, vespers will be celebrated on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 4 p.m. local time, reserved exclusively for Franciscan friars. The mortal remains will then be transferred in procession from the chapel that houses it to the Lower Basilica.
The event will also be accompanied by the publication of a special issue of the magazine "San Francesco Patrono d'Italia," produced by the Sacred Convent of Assisi. The 160-page issue is entirely dedicated to the saint and includes contributions from the most prominent contemporary Franciscan scholars.
A Franciscan jubilee year
This special jubilee year dedicated to St. Francis is considered a unique spiritual gift for the entire Church. The Vatican's Apostolic Penitentiary explained that the Holy Father is opening the way during this year to obtain the indulgence under the usual conditions.
Faithful throughout the world may obtain the indulgence by visiting any Franciscan church — or any place of worship anywhere in the world dedicated to St. Francis or connected with him for any reason — and by fulfilling the required conditions for obtaining the indulgence: receiving the sacraments of reconciliation and holy Communion, and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father.
A plenary indulgence, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, is God's remission of the temporal punishment that follows forgiven sins. The Church is able to remit these consequences of sin, since God has made her steward of the fruits of redemption.
The musical tells the true story of the beloved French 14-year-old girl who had 18 visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes.
After being seen by over 400,000 people across Europe, "Bernadette, The Musical" is making its debut in the U.S. on Feb. 19 at Chicago's The Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture.
The musical tells the true story of St. Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes — the 14-year-old girl who, in 1858 in Lourdes, France, encountered a series of apparitions believed to be the Blessed Virgin Mary.
During the winter of 1844, Bernadette returned from a grotto on the riverbank claiming to have seen a vision of "something white in the shape of a lady." The musical focuses on the few weeks that followed this event and how the teenager — experiencing another 16 visions — stood firm against doubt, ridicule, and condemnation. She faced pressure from adults, police, religious authorities — even her own parents — with faith and courage.
The musical will be performed in Chicago from Feb. 19 to March 15. The musical will then travel to other cities in Connecticut, Michigan, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Arizona, Oregon, and Georgia.
The cast of "Bernadette, The Musical" during a performance. | Credit: "Bernadette, The Musical"
Producer Pierre Ferragu told EWTN News that the inspiration for the musical came from the original producer in France, Roberto Ciurleo, whose grandmother had a deep devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes.
"He was very familiar with Lourdes, with the sanctuary, the story of Bernadette, and one day he thought, well, it, objectively, is a beautiful story [and] she has a beautiful character," he shared.
Looking at her story as a whole, he also believed that what Bernadette experienced was "great grounds for entertainment, for telling a beautiful story."
Once Ferragu got involved with the production, his inspiration came from his belief that "the life of saints are beautiful. You don't need to be Catholic or religious or to look at it from the perspective of the faith to see beauty in these stories."
He added that Bernadette's "beautiful attitude of faith" — one of being a mere witness and not trying to convince people of what she saw — motivated him to tell her story.
"I was like, 'I just want to tell the story of Bernadette and let people decide what they want to do with it,'" he explained. "It's like opening a door, maybe opening a path for conversion — 'Here is the story of the little girl. What do you make of it?' And it's beautiful to see the impact the story of Bernadette can have on people of faith as much as people who are more remote from the faith."
When speaking to the show's universality and how both religious and nonreligious individuals can enjoy it, Ferragu explained that the show remains "very faithful to what happened" and is "really focused on the historic facts."
He added that the musical is a "very moving experience" and that "you laugh and you cry with little Bernadette."
The producer hopes that first and foremost audiences will "have a wonderful time" watching this production.
"I want them to enjoy it — to enjoy the music, enjoy the story, enjoy the characters, enjoy the plot, enjoy the tension, laugh and cry with the cast along the story," he said.
Ferragu also hopes that by telling this story it's "opening a door to anyone on a path of conversion — be it for very faithful, very devout and practicing Catholics or people who are not religious at all."
"I hope everybody will take that story and explore that path of 'Here is the story of Bernadette. What do I take from it? Did she lie? Did she tell the truth? What did she really see? What does that mean to me?' And hopefully by bringing that story to the audience, we can plant a seed in every heart."
The Church in Mexico said its aim for 2026 is to "walk together as a more united, more synodal Church, closer to the people," especially in the face of the violence, poverty, and forced migration.
The president of the Mexican bishops' conference (CEM, by its Spanish acronym), Bishop Ramón Castro Castro, outlined "the vision that the Church in Mexico is embracing for 2026," which is to "walk together as a more united, more synodal Church, closer to the people," especially in the face of the violence, poverty, and forced migration that the country is experiencing.
In a video message posted Jan. 29, Castro, the bishop of Cuernavaca in the Mexican state of Morelos, said that in 2026 "we will commemorate the centenary of the testimony of more than 200,000 Mexican martyrs who gave their lives defending their faith and freedom of conscience."
"They did not seek conflict, but neither did they renounce Christ. With their blood, we proclaim a truth that continues to challenge us today," he said, referring to the martyrs who perished during the persecution suffered by the Catholic Church at the hands of the Mexican federal government during the first half of the 20th century, which triggered the Cristiada, also known as the Cristero War.
"Christ is King," Castro proclaimed, emphasizing that "remembering our martyrs is not about returning to the past with nostalgia but about allowing their testimony to illuminate our present and strengthen our daily fidelity, especially in the face of the reality our country is experiencing."
"Violence, lack of public safety, poverty, forced migration, and the fragility of many families continue to deeply wound the heart of Mexico," the prelate acknowledged.
'A Church that accompanies'
Castro said that "in the midst of this reality, the Church is present in the parishes, in the chapels, in accompanying families, young people, migrants, and victims."
For 2026, he said, the vision is of "a Church that accompanies, that proclaims hope with words and deeds, and that builds peace from the Gospel, with truth, charity, and steadfastness."
"This path prepares us for great events of grace: the Guadalupan Jubilee of 2031 and the celebration of the Redemption in 2033," he noted, referring to the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Tepeyac, which occurred in December 1531, and the 2,000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Castro emphasized that in the journey they have undertaken this year, the bishops "embrace the call of Pope Leo XIV, who reminds us that the peace that Christ offers us is not a distant idea but a living presence," as the Holy Father expressed in his message for the 59th World Day of Peace.
"An unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering, that overcomes evil with good," Castro continued. "Let us continue walking together toward 2026 with our gaze fixed on Christ the King, strengthened by the testimony of our martyrs and under the loving protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe, confident that the peace of Christ continues to transform history."
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
The plan threatens to harden a decades-old split between the traditionalist group and the Vatican.
The Priestly Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) announced Monday that it plans to consecrate new bishops on July 1 even without authorization from the Holy See, a move that would likely lead to automatic excommunication of all the bishops who take part and harden a decades-old split with Rome.
The SSPX, which exclusively celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass and maintains doctrinal differences with certain teachings and reforms of the Second Vatican Council, has not consecrated new bishops since 1988 when the society's founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, consecrated four bishops without Rome's approval. The move directly contravened canon law and led to their, and the archbishop's, automatic excommunication.
Even though Pope Benedict XVI remitted the 1988 excommunications in 2009, the Vatican says the SSPX exists in a state of "institutional irregularity" or "imperfect communion" with the Holy See, lacking a formal, recognized canonical structure.?Ongoing doctrinal disagreements are the stated reason why no stable canonical structure has yet been granted.
The SSPX said Monday that its superior general, Father Davide Pagliarani, requested an audience with Pope Leo XIV last August to present, "in a filial manner," the current situation of the SSPX, including its need for bishops.
The society's statement continued: "After having long matured his reflection in prayer, and having received from the Holy See, in recent days, a letter which does not in any way respond to our requests,?Father Pagliarani, in harmony with the unanimous advice of his council," has decided to proceed with consecrating new bishops.
The SSPX has only two serving bishops: Bishop Bernard Fellay, a former superior general of the society, and Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta. Bishop Richard Williamson was expelled in 2012 for persistent disobedience and open opposition to the society's superiors and their policy toward Rome. He died last year. Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais died in 2024.
Both Benedict XVI and Pope Francis tried to regularize the SSPX gradually, with Pope Benedict pursuing dialogue that was halted in 2017. Pope Francis granted faculties for confessions and marriages while keeping doctrinal issues open.
Observers say moving ahead with new consecrations after explicitly seeking and not receiving Rome's agreement signals a clear divergence of judgment that will likely harden positions on both sides, making any future canonical solution more difficult.
They also say the move implicitly challenges how the Holy See is handling liturgy, doctrine, and the traditionalist movement globally at a time when debates over the older liturgy are already intense.
"Excommunications are back on the menu, obviously because it's automatic," said Joseph Bevan, a senior SSPX layman and author of the 2025 book "Traddy Daddy — Memories and Thoughts of the Father of a Catholic Family." He said he believes such a development was "inevitable," adding that the discussions have been ongoing since July 2025 but with no progress. "Who can blame them?" he told EWTN News. "Rome is dragging its feet and being obstructive."
But a Rome canonist speaking on background to EWTN News held out hope that as the consecrations have not yet happened, a solution could possibly be found in the meantime, and today's announcement could press both parties into coming to a resolution.
The Holy See Press Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In his Feb. 2 message, Pagliarani stressed that the SSPX's motive remains the service of the Church and the preservation of tradition, citing his 2024 reflection on the 50th anniversary of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre's declaration that formally set out the position of the SSPX.
"The Society of St. Pius X is not primarily seeking its own survival," Pagliarani said on that occasion. "It seeks the good of the universal Church and, for this reason, is a work of the Church, responding to the needs of an unprecedentedly tragic era… Without any spirit of rebellion, bitterness, or resentment, we pursue our work of forming priests, guided by the timeless magisterium."
The communiqué concluded by saying that further explanations regarding the present situation and today's decision would be expected in the coming days.
"I told him about the abuse," David Ryan said. "I did get a feeling of being listened to and being understood."
A victim of clerical sexual abuse from Ireland shared his story in a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Monday.
David Ryan, who was sexually abused by a Catholic priest at Blackrock College in Dublin in the 1970s, told a small group of reporters, including Colm Flynn of EWTN News, after the meeting that the pope "was horrified" by his story during their 40-minute conversation Feb. 2.
"I didn't hold back. I told him about the abuse," said Ryan, whose deceased brother, Mark, was also abused while attending the same school.
The pope "just listened to me and then I put my questions to him and we spoke about each one at length," Ryan said.
Ryan said Leo called his questions "tough" and asked if he could have more time to reflect on them and respond further via email at a future date.
"What an experience. I'll never, never forget it. [Pope Leo's] sincerity, his empathy. He felt my pain," Ryan said.
Ryan, who has been open about being abused for years from around age 11 by a Catholic priest from his school, said in a 2024 interview with EWTN News that "you never forget about it. It ruined my life, it ruined Mark's life."
He said that he shared with Leo that it took him 40 years to realize what happened to him was not his fault.
"I did get a feeling of being listened to and being understood," he said, adding that he hopes other victims will feel inspired to come forward.
Deirdre Kenny, CEO of One In Four, an Irish organization that supports child sexual abuse survivors, also briefly met Pope Leo.
Kenny called the encounter "very human … very down-to-earth."
Ryan said he is not "very religious," which he told the pope, but that he talks to God "in my own funny, little way."
Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, the retired archbishop of L'Aquila, succeeds Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, the retired archbishop of Vienna.
Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, the retired archbishop of L'Aquila, Italy, has been appointed president of the Cardinalitial Commission of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), commonly known as the Vatican bank.
Petrocchi succeeds Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, the retired archbishop of Vienna, who has led the commission since 2014 and is stepping down after reaching the age limit.
In a statement, the commission thanked Schönborn "for his valuable leadership and for the commitment with which he supported and accompanied the institute during decisive phases of its reform process over the 12 years of his mandate," adding that his service helped ensure guidance consistent with the institute's mission.
Schönborn, for his part, expressed "profound gratitude" to Pope Francis for his "constant and enlightened support" during the IOR's "long and demanding" reform process. He also thanked the bank's director general, Gian Franco Mammì, and the institute's leadership and staff as well as the supervisory board chaired by Jean-Baptiste de Franssu for guiding what he described as a far-reaching transformation that has earned broad recognition within the international financial community.
Petrocchi said he has witnessed "important developments" carried out by the institute in service of the Holy Father and the universal Church, and said the commission and the supervisory board will continue that work with an emphasis on continuous improvement, collaboration, and respect for Catholic ethics, transparency, and shared responsibility.
At the same meeting, the commission welcomed Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, who was recently appointed a member of the commission by Pope Leo XIV.
The Cardinalitial Commission oversees the IOR's fidelity to its statutes. It is composed of five cardinals appointed by the pope, who designate one of their members as president. Members serve five-year terms and may be confirmed once.
In addition to Petrocchi and Fernández Artime, the commission includes Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, and Cardinal Emil Paul Tscherrig.
This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
