Francis’ final blessing: Pope's car turned to clinic to treat Gaza’s children

A popemobile once used by Pope Francis during a historic visit to Bethlehem in 2014 is being converted into a mobile medical clinic for children in the Gaza Strip, a project the late pontiff approved before his passing.

Originally designed to carry Pope Francis through the streets of Bethlehem, the modified white Mitsubishi vehicle—donated by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas—will soon serve a new purpose: providing urgent medical care to Palestinian children suffering under the prolonged Israeli Occupation aggression on Gaza.

The initiative is spearheaded by Caritas, a Catholic humanitarian organization, with support from the Franciscan order. According to Caritas officials, the clinic-on-wheels will be equipped with a physician and nurse, and stocked with basic medical supplies such as infection tests, syringes, and suture kits. It will also be fortified with blastproof windows to withstand the volatile conditions inside Gaza.

Though limited in scope, the clinic represents a deeply symbolic and tangible act of solidarity with Gaza’s children. “The papamobile is a very concrete sign that Pope Francis is concerned with all the suffering of children in Gaza, even after his death!” wrote Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden, who initially proposed the idea and personally discussed it with the Pope.

The Vatican formally endorsed the project in November 2024. “I am pleased to convey His Holiness’s approval of the project, together with the assurance of his prayers for all associated with this charitable endeavor,” wrote Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, one of Francis’s top aides, in a letter to Cardinal Arborelius.

Once the vehicle is fully outfitted—a process expected to take about three weeks—Caritas Jerusalem, which employs roughly 100 staff members inside Gaza, will seek "Israeli" permission to bring the clinic into the enclave. It remains unclear if that request will be granted. "Israel’s" government has maintained a strict blockade on humanitarian and commercial goods in Gaza for over two months, arguing that the restrictions are needed to pressure Hamas into releasing captives.

Throughout his papacy, Francis consistently voiced concern for civilians caught in the violence and made frequent appeals for a ceasefire and the safe release of captives. He was known to have video calls with Christians sheltering in Gaza churches and regularly condemned the suffering of children.

“Yesterday, children were bombed,” he said in December 2024. “This is cruelty. This is not war.”

The former papal vehicle, now transformed, is set to become both a beacon of hope and a practical lifeline. “It’s symbolic,” said Peter Brune, secretary general of Caritas Sweden, “but it’s also practical.”