When Pope Francis visited Bethlehem in the West Bank occupied by Israeli in 2014, he swallowed the traditional birthplace of Jesus in a White Potemobile made in particular for his visit.
Now the vehicle is transformed into a mobile health clinic to treat sick and injured Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip – an initiative that Pope Francis blessed in the previous months.
While the clinic will only serve a limited number of Palestinians in Gaza, the personal participation of Pope Francis in the project reflected his commitment to Palestinian civilians taken in the cross -fires between Israel and Hamas, in particular children, in more than 18 months of war.
“The papamobile is a very concrete sign that Pope Francis is interested in all the suffering of children in Gaza, even after his death!” Cardinal Anders Arborelius from Sweden said in an email on Monday.
The idea of recreating the Popemobile as a health clinic came from Caritas leaders, a Catholic organization, and Cardinal Arborelius approached Francis with. The Swedish cardinal is a competitor to become the next Pope after François, who died on April 28.
The Popemobile, a Mitsubishi Converted, was given by President Mahmoud Abbas of the visit of the Palestinian authority for the visit of Francis. It was given to the Franciscan order thereafter, then to Caritas after Francis blessed its use in Gaza.
In November 2024, representatives of Francis declared that he had welcomed the initiative, according to two letters of senior officials of the Vatican revised by the New York Times.
“I am happy to transmit the approval by his holiness of the project, as well as the assurance of his prayers for all the associates to this charitable company,” wrote Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, principal assistant to François, at Cardinal Arborelius.
The Popemobile will be equipped with a doctor and a nurse and equipped with medical instruments to provide children with basic care, including rapid infection, suture and syringes tests, according to Anton Asfar, secretary general of Caritas Jerusalem. Caritas Jerusalem has around 100 staff members in Gaza providing aid to the Palestinians.
Preparation of the vehicle to be used, including the installation of explosion windows, will take about three weeks, said ASFAR. Caritas Jerusalem, he added, will soon ask for the approval of the Israeli authorities to deliver it to Gaza.
COGAT, the Israeli government agency responsible for coordinating the entry of the aid into the enclave, did not respond to a request for comments on the question of whether Israel intended to authorize the passage of the Popemobile. The Israeli authorities have applied a total blockade on humanitarian supplies and commercial goods in the past two months, saying that the ban has been supposed to put pressure on Hamas to free up more hostages that they have had since October 7, 2023, attacking Israel.
Francis was one of the leading leaderships in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid. He also called for the release of hostages, met his relatives and sentenced the attack led by Hamas, which left around 1,200 dead and around 250 removed.
He also frequently had video calls with Christians housing a church in Gaza City and drew attention to children killed in Israeli air strikes.
“Yesterday, the children were bombed,” said Francis in an address in December 2024. “It’s cruelty. It’s not war. “
The Israeli army said that its bombing campaign has targeted Hamas activists and arms officials and infrastructure, and blamed the militant group of having exposed civilians to danger by losing with them.
The Popemobile will carry a message of hope and solidarity, but it will also offer the necessary services, said Peter Brune, secretary general of Caritas Sweden.
“It’s symbolic,” he said, “but it’s also practical.”
