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Pope Francis’s “pope-mobile,” the specially designed vehicle used during his 2014 visit to Bethlehem, is getting a new life as a mobile clinic for children in Gaza. This act of charity follows the late pontiff’s final wishes, as confirmed by the Vatican.
Caritas Jerusalem, the Catholic non-profit overseeing the project, announced Sunday that Pope Francis directed them in his final months to convert the vehicle into a mobile health station. The organization aims to provide essential healthcare access to children affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The converted pope-mobile, currently being equipped with medical supplies and equipment, will be staffed by a driver and medical professionals. It will offer diagnostic services, basic treatments, and essential medications to children in need.
This initiative aligns with Pope Francis’s repeated calls for peace in Gaza and his concern for the well-being of Palestinian children. He consistently advocated for a ceasefire during the Israel-Hamas war and condemned the suffering of civilians, particularly children. In his final Easter message, delivered shortly before his passing on April 21, the Pope described the humanitarian situation as “dramatic and deplorable,” urging aid for the “starving people.”
Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius, a potential successor to Pope Francis, confirmed the project, calling it a “concrete sign” of the late Pope’s compassion. Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, which is supporting the initiative, emphasized the life-saving potential of the mobile clinic, stating it will reach children currently lacking access to healthcare. He added that the vehicle represents “a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza.”
Caritas Jerusalem highlighted the critical humanitarian situation in Gaza, particularly for the nearly one million displaced children. They stressed the vulnerability of children during conflict, as they are often the first and hardest hit by shortages of food, water, and healthcare.
The mobile clinic will be ready to deploy as soon as the humanitarian corridor to Gaza reopens. The same charity network previously criticized cuts to USAID, emphasizing the devastating impact such cuts have on vulnerable populations.