When Pope Francis visited Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 2014, he crisscrossed the traditional birthplace of Jesus in a white popemobile manufactured especially for his visit.
Now, the vehicle is being transformed into a mobile health clinic to treat ill and wounded Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip — an initiative that Pope Francis blessed in the months before he died.
While the clinic will serve only a limited number of Palestinians in Gaza, Pope Francis’s personal involvement in the project reflected his commitment to Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire between Israel and Hamas, particularly children, in more than 18 months of war.
“The papamobile is a very concrete sign that Pope Francis is concerned with all the suffering of children in Gaza, even after his death!” Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden said in an email on Monday.
The idea to recreate the popemobile as a health clinic came from leaders of Caritas, a Catholic organization, and Cardinal Arborelius approached Francis with it. The Swedish cardinal is a contender to become the next pope after Francis, who died on April 28.
The popemobile, a converted Mitsubishi, was donated by President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority for Francis’ visit. It was given to the Franciscan order afterward, and then to Caritas after Francis blessed its use in Gaza.
In November 2024, representatives of Francis said that he welcomed the initiative, according to two letters from senior Vatican officials reviewed by The New York Times.
“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,” Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, a senior aide to Francis, wrote to Cardinal Arborelius.
The popemobile will be staffed with a physician and a nurse and equipped with medical instruments to offer children basic care, including rapid tests for infections, suture kits and syringes, according to Anton Asfar, the secretary general of Caritas Jerusalem. Caritas Jerusalem has around 100 staff members in Gaza providing aid to Palestinians.
Preparing the vehicle for use, including the installation of blastproof windows, will take roughly three weeks, Mr. Asfar said. Caritas Jerusalem, he added, will soon request approval from Israeli authorities to deliver it to Gaza.
COGAT, the Israeli government agency responsible for coordinating the entry of aid into the enclave, did not respond to a request for comment about whether Israel intended to allow the passage of the popemobile. Israeli authorities have enforced a total blockade on humanitarian supplies and commercial goods for the past two months, saying that the ban was meant to pressure Hamas to release more of the hostages they have been holding since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Francis was one of the most outspoken prominent supporters of a cease-fire in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid. He also called for the release of hostages, met with their relatives and condemned the Hamas-led attack, which left some 1,200 people dead and about 250 abducted.
He also frequently had video calls with Christians sheltering at a church in Gaza City and drew attention to children killed in Israeli airstrikes.
“Yesterday, children were bombed,” Francis said in a December 2024 address. “This is cruelty. This is not war.”
The Israeli military has said its bombing campaign has targeted Hamas militants and officials and weapons infrastructure, and has blamed the militant group for exposing civilians to danger by embedding with them.
The popemobile will be carrying a message of hope and solidarity, but it will also be offering needed services, said Peter Brune, the secretary general of Caritas Sweden.
“It’s symbolic,” he said, “but it’s also practical.”
Adam Rasgon is a reporter for The Times in Jerusalem, covering Israeli and Palestinian affairs.
The post A Popemobile Will Ride Again, This Time Into Gaza appeared first on New York Times.
