One of the popemobiles once used by Pope Francis is being transformed into a mobile medical clinic for children in Gaza, honoring one of his final humanitarian wishes before his passing last month, according to the Vatican’s official news outlet on Sunday.
The vehicle, originally used during his 2014 visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, is now being equipped with emergency medical and diagnostic tools to deliver critical healthcare in Gaza, where the health system has been devastated by prolonged conflict.
Read more: Children Starving in Gaza as ‘Forced Famine’ Grips the Region
The project was initiated by Pope Francis in his final months and assigned to the Catholic charity Caritas Jerusalem, with additional support now coming from Caritas Sweden.
Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, emphasized the urgency of the effort, calling it “a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when Gaza’s health system has nearly collapsed.”
The clinic will include tools for infection screening, vaccinations, diagnostic testing, and wound care, and will be staffed by medical professionals ready to serve communities without access to medical services once it is safe to enter the region.
“This isn’t just a mobile unit—it’s a powerful symbol that the global community still cares about Gaza’s children,” Brune added.
Pope Francis had a deep connection with Gaza’s Christian minority, and the Vatican disclosed that he regularly contacted the Holy Family Church in Gaza during the war that erupted in October 2023 after Hamas launched attacks in southern Israel.
The popemobile had remained in the region since the Pope’s visit in 2014. Meanwhile, the Vatican has announced that the papal conclave to elect Pope Francis’s successor will begin on May 7.
