This is the romantic moment a man got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend in front of the Pope at the Vatican.
The moment happened directly in front of Pope Francis who was carrying out a ‘routine audience’ with a reception for Catholic legislators at the Vatican in Rome, Italy.
But Venezuelan politician and activist Dario Ramirez took the opportunity to create a proposal to remember for his partner Maryangel Espinal. Ramirez is an exile from the Maduro regime in Venezuela, having fled the country in 2014.
He got down on bended knee and asked for her hand in marriage as the Pope beamed in the background.
Mr Ramirez said: ‘When we were introduced to the Holy Father, I explained the situation in Venezuela and the situation facing political prisoners.
‘I then said to the Pope: ‘There’s a third thing I want to ask you. I explained to the Holy Father that the woman next to me is the woman of my life. I met her in church, God put her in my life, and I want to propose to her. So I got down on one knee and asked.’
Ms Espinal was momentarily lost for words saying she had ‘no idea’ the proposal was coming, forcing the Catholic leader to intervene.
This is the romantic moment a man got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend in front of the Pope at the Vatican
The moment happened directly in front of Pope Francis who was carrying out a ‘routine audience’ with a reception for Catholic legislators at the Vatican in Rome, Italy
The Pope said: ‘He asked you to marry him, what do you say?’ to which she finally managed to say: ‘Yes, of course.’
The pontiff then officially blessed the pair and their upcoming nuptials.
The proposal had been carefully planned, with Mr Ramirez having to obtain permission to pop the question from Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the patron of the International Catholic Legislators Network, who was also in the audience.
But Venezuelan politician and activist Dario Ramirez took the opportunity to create a proposal to remember for his partner Maryangel Espinal
Ramirez is an exile from the Maduro regime in Venezuela, having fled the country in 2014
But despite the preparation, Pope Francis was said to have been kept out of the loop and was very ‘surprised’.
The engagement comes after many years of hardship for the Venezuelan.
He said: ‘I had lost everything. I had lost my job. I was far from my family. I was in a country where I practically didn’t know anyone. I was devastated.’