How THE ViRAl MoMEnT UnFoldEd

January 18 Applied online via www.uaepapalvisit.org for tickets to the Papal mass.

February 3

Registration confirmed and physical tickets received

February 4

5pm — Set off from home in Dubai. Took metro to Noor Bank station and walked 45 minutes to bus stop to catch the bus to Abu Dhabi 8pm – Arrived in Abu Dhabi outside Zayed Sports Stadium. Took cardboard boxes to sit on.

February 5

2.30am — Got access to outer stadium. Doors were due to open at 5.30am but they were let in early.

5.30am — Checked ticket numbers for seats: Entrance 26, Section 26, Row M, Seats 35-39. Realised they were seated up high, far away from the main altar and no way near where the pope would be passing by crowd.

5.30am-7.30am — Launched a plan to get better access to seats. Walked around outside the stadium to see if they could get closer to the area where the pope would be passing by. Security checked tickets several times and rejected them, pointing them in direction of original seating area in Entrance 26. Looked around for others ways in but could not find any.

7.45am — Spotted a small door near a nearby entrance. Started speaking to a Spanish lady seated in the area. They explained that Gabriela and Valery wanted to hand letters to the pope. Lady offered to take the letters and try and hand it to him during drive around stadium. Andrea and Jessica refused.

7.50am — They noticed people coming from toilet area with children and returning back to stadium floor seats without tickets being checked. They followed, each holding Gabriela and Valery’s hand. They got through.

8am — Got to seating area positioned in front of the stadium and stood at the back row, sitting down in someone’s seat every time they left to go to the toilet. They didn’t want to be spotted standing the whole time, so changed seat positions three times.

9am — Spotted one woman sitting in the back row with empty seats by her. The lady saw the children and ushered the women and girls to sit down.

10.15am — Pope Francis arrives in car. Jessica and Andrea plan to lift the young girls up on their shoulders and extend them out to His Holiness so they can hand him the letters. Gabriela and Valery slip from their hands, move under the fencing and dash towards the Pope. He orders car to stop and security lifts the girls up towards him where he blesses them.

Noon onwards — Picture of Valery crying with joy as the pope blesses her (taken by Vatican photographer) goes viral.