On Mass with Vatican higher-ups, or the time I snuck into St. Peter's

So some friends asked me if I wanted to go to Mass this morning at 7 am. It was early, but hey, what the heck? I'm in Rome! Of course I want to go to Mass. Plus, I want to start doing daily mass on a regular basis.
So we showed up just as they were shutting the night time lights off. As my friend Gretchen mentioned, it's quite beautiful at night. St. Peter's square is especially beautiful at night after a good rain. I highly recommend it.
Anyway, we made our way to the front of the Vatican to the main altar, because that's where Mass would logically be, right? We knew something was wrong when we sat behind 100 or so priests, followed by another hundred that sat behind us. Feeling really awkward in my khaki cargo pants and blue sweater, I realized I was the only man in the crowd without a collar. Of course, my awkwardness can't compare to my friends Esther and Gillian, who were the only females in the crowd save the nun singing.
Eager to know who was saying Mass, we tried our best to blend and avoid dirty looks from security while waiting for Mass to start. When it finally did, a man in white who looked like at least a Bishop or Cardinal walked to the altar. I did a double take and realized it was Cardinal Bertone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_Bertone). I had just been introduced to him the night before when I read Time Magazine's interview with the Vatican Secretary of State. Basically, if there's a #2 at the Vatican, it's Bertone. He's the Pope's right hand man, diplomat and runs the Vatican and the Church when the Pope is unable, away or ill.
So here I was, sitting in a crowd of 300 priests( who I towered over), clearly at the wrong Mass, receiving communion from the number 2 man in the entire Catholic Church. As in this guy directly influences, in part leads 1.1 billion people.
After Mass, security finally became aware of our presence and ushered us out. We also had to gloat at the 300+ people behind us(where we were supposed to be) and behind gates with the rest of the laity.
Unbelievably, we snuck into an exclusive Mass said by the second most powerful man in the Catholic Church who gave me communion. I'm still reeling from this whole experience.
At the end of mass, all I could do was put my head in my hands and laugh, because God's sense of humor is truly divine. I had just read the interview with this guy the night before, and here I was standing next to him. Only in Rome.