Pope Francis' popemobile is set to be transformed into a mobile clinic to help children in Gaza in fulfilment of the pontiff's last wishes before his death.
The Vatican has announced that it is putting the final touches on the plans to send the popemobile to volatile Gaza.
The popemobile, an iconic motorised vehicle, was used to transport the Pope when he wanted to go around greeting and blessing the public. It was the same vehicle that carried the Pope's body to the final resting place at the Papal Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome outside the Vatican.
The envisaged clinic is set to serve vulnerable populations in Gaza. Pope Francis is remembered for his dedication to peacekeeping and efforts to enhance inclusion.
This heartwarming development was reported by Vatican News on Sunday, May 4, noting the late pontiff's request did not come as a surprise, as he had dedicated his life to peace-keeping.
"It was his final wish for the people to whom he had shown such solidarity throughout his pontificate, especially in the last years," Vatican News wrote.
"And in his final months, the Pope entrusted the initiative to Caritas Jerusalem, seeking to respond to the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where nearly one million children have been displaced."
Throughout his regime, Pope Francis committed to showing compassion, often referring to children as "not numbers. They are faces. Names. Stories. And each one is sacred."
The popemobile set for transformation is the same vehicle that the pope used during all his global tours to get close to millions of faithful and wave to them.
During his final months, the late Pope entrusted the initiative to Caritas Jerusalem, as a response to the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where nearly one million children have been displaced since war broke out.
Collapsed infrastructure, a mutilated healthcare system and lack of education are just some among several misfortunes that the children of Gaza have to grapple with, with starvation, infections and other preventable conditions putting their lives at risk.
In its transformation, the popemobile will be outfitted with equipment for diagnosis, examination, and treatment, including rapid tests for infections, diagnostic instruments, vaccines, suture kits, and other life-saving supplies.
It will also be staffed by doctors and medics, reaching children in the most isolated corners of Gaza once humanitarian access to the strip is restored.
Peter Brune, the Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, released a statement, noting that the Pope's gift will see several children in Gaza, with no access to healthcare, receive the same once the transformation is complete.
"With the vehicle, we will be able to reach children who today have no access to health care – children who are injured and malnourished. This is a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when the health system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed," he stated.
Brune further noted that the Pope's selfless gesture would serve as a reminder that the world has not forgotten the children in Gaza and would even serve as an invitation for the rest of the world to remember.
