Pope Francis' Funeral: American Journalist Kielce Gussie Gives the First Reading at Service in St. Peter's Square
An American journalist is making headlines after being chosen to give the first reading at Pope Francis' funeral.
Kielce Gussie gave the first reading at the funeral mass held for Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square in Rome on Saturday, April 26, following his death on April 21.
She read a passage from the Acts of the Apostles, the fifth book of the New Testament, telling the story of the founding of the Christian Church, at the podium in Francis' honor. The 28-year-old is a journalist at Vatican News in Rome and has lived in Italy's capital since 2019, CBS News reported.
Gussie learned she would be part of the funeral just three days before the service on April 23, Inside Edition's Deborah Norville shared on her Instagram. Gussie is from Florida and moved to Maryland to attend college before relocating to Rome, according to Norville.
Sharing her reaction to speaking at the service, Gussie said, "My initial thought was 'Oh my god' but then, after I thought 'this is such a huge honor,' to be a part of this momentous occasion. Also, for me, it's such a big way to say thank you to Pope Francis," per CBS News.
Related: Pope Francis Funeral Live Updates: Thousands Gather to Mourn with Trump, Prince William and More
Gussie joined Vatican News just seven months before Francis' funeral, according to her LinkedIn page.
She is a devout Catholic and has met the pope twice, including one time on her birthday in a special personal encounter which remains a fond memory of hers, CBS News reported.
Gussie told the outlet of their meeting, 'I didn't see him as the head of the Catholic Church, I saw him as a grandfather. And so for me, I will remember him as someone who really cared for each person that he met."
Related: Pope Francis' Coffin Sealed in Private Ceremony After 250,000 Mourners Paid Their Respects
Gussie previously worked as a journalist for Rome Reports TV News Agency for two years and as a production assistant at EWTN a year prior in 2020.
Before moving to Rome, she attended Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md., where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theology.
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Over 250,000 people came to Rome to show their respects at Pope Francis' funeral on April 26, including world leaders such as President Donald Trump, Joe and Jill Biden and Prince William.
According to the Vatican, Pope Francis died of a cerebral stroke that caused a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse on April 21.
The pontiff was also affected by a "previous episode of acute respiratory failure in bilateral multimicrobial pneumonia, multiple bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension and type II diabetes."
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