Pope Francis's popemobile transformed into mobile clinic for Gaza children
Pope Francis arrives to celebrate mass in Manger Square next to the Church of the Nativity, believed by many to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem May 25, 2014. PHOTO:REUTERS
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One of Pope Francis's former popemobiles is being converted into a mobile health clinic for children in Gaza, fulfilling one of his final humanitarian wishes before his death last month, the Vatican's official news outlet reported on Sunday.
The vehicle, used during the Pope's 2014 visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, is being repurposed with diagnostic and emergency medical equipment to provide urgent care in Gaza, where health infrastructure has been largely destroyed by ongoing conflict.
The initiative, entrusted by Pope Francis to the Catholic charity Caritas Jerusalem in the final months of his life, is now being carried out with support from Caritas Sweden.
'This is a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when the health system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed,' said Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden.
The mobile clinic will be outfitted with infection testing tools, vaccines, diagnostic equipment, and suture kits.
Medical personnel will staff the unit, which will be deployed to areas lacking access to healthcare, once humanitarian conditions allow safe entry into the region.
'This is not just a vehicle,' Brune said. 'It's a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza.'
Gaza's small Christian community had a close connection with the late pontiff. The Vatican revealed that Pope Francis frequently called the Holy Family Church in Gaza throughout the war that erupted in October 2023, following Hamas's attack on southern Israel.
The popemobile remained in the region after the Pope's 2014 visit. The Vatican has confirmed that preparations are underway for a papal conclave, which will begin on May 7, to elect Pope Francis's successor.
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