A former “popemobile” used by Pope Francis during his 2014 visit to Bethlehem has been repurposed as a mobile clinic for children in Gaza. According to Reuters and The Associated Press, the vehicle was unveiled near the Church of the Nativity.
Church officials said Francis had blessed the initiative and placed it under the care of the Catholic charity Caritas before his death in April.
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Organizers say the “Vehicle of Hope” is meant to deliver basic care to children in a territory where war has devastated health services.
“This vehicle stands as a testament that the world has not forgotten the children of Gaza,” Cardinal Anders Arborelius said at the Bethlehem event.
What the documents or officials say
According to Caritas, the clinic is staffed by medics and equipped to treat approximately 200 children daily. Services will range from triage and examinations to vaccinations and the treatment of infections. The AP notes that the unit is outfitted with diagnostic tools, oxygen and refrigeration for medicine. In a symbolic move, young patients can sit in the former papal seat during their consultations.
How the popemobile was transformed
The vehicle, a modified Mitsubishi pickup, was originally a gift from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the pope for his 2014 trip. Caritas managed the $15,000 transformation, which involved Palestinian mechanics enclosing the rear platform where Francis once stood to create a treatment space.
Caritas Jerusalem’s Anton Asfar tied the effort to displacement and pediatric need, saying, “We have seen more than a million children displaced,” and calling the clinic one of the late pope’s last wishes for Gaza’s children.
Cardinal Arborelius added, “Children are not numbers. Children are faces, names and stories.”
When will it reach Gaza?
The timeline for the clinic’s deployment remains uncertain. While Caritas Secretary-General Alistair Dutton stated they aim to move the unit “as soon as we possibly can,” the Israeli agency COGAT did not comment on authorization.
The urgency is high; UNICEF reports that despite a formal ceasefire, at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents, and Reuters notes that airstrikes continue frequently.
