Pope Francis’s iconic popemobile becomes Gaza’s lifeline as Catholic charity Caritas retrofits it into a mobile health unit for children. Before his passing, Francis entrusted the 2014 Holy Land pilgrimage vehicle to Caritas Jerusalem to serve Gaza’s injured and malnourished children.
Caritas staff are equipping the vehicle with suture kits, oxygen supplies, vaccines, syringes, and a refrigerator for life-saving medicines. The mobile clinic will bring essential diagnostic tools and frontline care to isolated communities lacking access to functioning hospitals and clinics.
Caritas Secretary General Peter Brune emphasized the symbolic weight of the mission, calling it a message that Gaza’s children are not forgotten. Doctors, medics, and a dedicated driver will staff the mobile clinic once Israel opens a secure humanitarian corridor into Gaza.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has displaced nearly one million people and killed over 15,000 children, according to UNICEF figures released last week. Since the October 2023 Hamas attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis, Israel’s blockade has left Gaza’s families without access to food, water, or medical aid.
Under Pope’s final directives, the popemobile will demonstrate his lifelong commitment to global peace and humanitarian efforts. Throughout the Israel-Hamas war, Francis regularly phoned Gaza’s Holy Family Church to support Catholics and shelter Muslims.
Currently stationed in Jerusalem, the converted popemobile awaits Israel’s approval to cross into Gaza as soon as aid corridors reopen. Meanwhile, Israel’s cabinet has approved plans to shift humanitarian aid delivery to private companies, though the UN has condemned this move as a breach of humanitarian principles. The Conclave to elect Francis’s successor will meet on Wednesday, but the late Pope’s lasting legacy rolls forward on four wheels, aiming to save Gaza’s most vulnerable.
