WASHINGTON (CBS/AP) -- A Southern California girl who managed to break through security was handed up to the pope during Pope Francis' parade in Washington on Wednesday shared a message about tolerance.

Alicia Flores of La Hermandad, an immigration advocacy group, says the girl is 5-year-old Sophie Cruz of suburban Los Angeles.

Sophie got beyond a barricade and approached the popemobile Wednesday morning, carrying a T-shirt bearing a message about the status of immigrant parents of children born in the United States. She also carried a letter addressed to Pope Francis that bore her name and address.

She gave the pope a picture showing a group of children holding hands with the pope. On it she wrote, 'Mis amiguitos y yo nos amamos sin importar el color de nuestra piel.' Translation: My little friends and me love without caring about the color of our skin.

❤️RT @ngjennings: The picture Sophie Cruz gave Pope Francis this morning: http://t.co/yJulH9EqlQ pic.twitter.com/G6rqzh8Tpp

— Kate Amara (@kateamaraWBAL) September 23, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Sophie shied back when a bodyguard came near. But when the pope gestured to her, she allowed the bodyguard to pick her up and bring her forward for a papal kiss and blessing. A guard passed the shirt and her message into the popemobile.

Francis and Sophie's secret: girl who hugged pope delivers immigration plea http://t.co/VFqXnFRaLh pic.twitter.com/Z9tILKQ9Mz

— Jake Cornwall (@JakeM_1998) September 23, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

In:

• Immigration