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Japan Times
06-05-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Francis' popemobile converted into clinic for Gazan children
Before his death, Pope Francis donated one of his popemobiles to be converted into a children's clinic in war-torn Gaza Strip, Catholic charity Caritas said on Monday. The iconic open-sided vehicle, designed to allow the pontiff to greet crowds of well-wishers, has been transferred to Caritas Jerusalem and will head to Gaza if and when Israel opens a humanitarian corridor. The car, a converted Mitsubishi, was used by the pope during a 2014 visit to Bethlehem and had since been on display, gathering dust and rust. It has now been repaired and refurbished as a mobile clinic. "With the vehicle, we will be able to reach children who today have no access to healthcare — children who are injured and malnourished," said Peter Brune, secretary-general of Caritas Sweden. Brune said that Sweden's Cardinal Anders Arborelius had asked the late pope, who died on April 21 at the age of 88, that the spare vehicle be put to use providing essential front-line health care to Palestinian children. It will be fitted with medical equipment and a fridge for medicines and be assigned a driver and a team of doctors. "This vehicle represents the love, care and closeness shown by His Holiness for the most vulnerable, which he expressed throughout the crisis," said Anton Asfar, secretary-general of Caritas Jerusalem. It was not clear, however, if or when the aid agency's hoped-for humanitarian corridor would open. Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid political deadlock over how to build on a two-month ceasefire in its war against Hamas, which was sparked by the militants' October 2023 attack. On Monday, Israel's security Cabinet approved an expansion of military operations that would lead to what an official described as the "conquest" of the Palestinian territory. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Sunday that at least 2,436 people had been killed since Israel resumed its campaign on March 18, bringing the overall death toll from the war to 52,535. Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Francis's popemobile to become a mobile clinic for children in Gaza
Just over a decade ago, the converted Mitsubishi whisked Pope Francis through the streets of Bethlehem before it was left to gather dust. Now, in keeping with one of the late pontiff's last wishes, the popemobile is being given a second life – as a mobile health clinic for children in the Gaza Strip. In a region ravaged by more than 18 months of war, the initiative is both symbolic and practical, said Peter Brune, the secretary general of the Catholic charity Caritas Sweden. 'We call it a vehicle of hope because it conveys a message to the children of Gaza that peace is possible, there will be peace, you will have a future and the world has not forgotten about you. And then there's the very practical dimension in that it will actually deliver medical aid to affected children.' Brune and his counterpart at Caritas Jerusalem, Anton Asfar, came up with the idea late last year. They soon arranged to have the question put to Pope Francis. 'We got a letter from the pope saying, 'Yes I'm glad to say that I fully endorse this idea',' said Brune. Work swiftly began on fitting out the vehicle, which had been left sitting in Bethlehem since the 2014 visit, with supplies such as rapid tests for infections, suture kits and oxygen as well as a refrigerator for medication. It will be used to diagnose and treat children who have no access to healthcare, bolstering the aid provided by Caritas Jerusalem, which has about 100 staff on the ground in Gaza. 'This is a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when the health system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed,' said Brune. The announcement, made days before the start of the conclave to elect a new pope, echoes Francis's deep commitment to those caught in the crossfire of the conflict. He had long called for an end to the hostilities and voiced his disapproval at how the war was being carried out. 'Yesterday children were bombed. This is cruelty, this is not war,' he said in December after an Israeli airstrike killed seven children from one family. He added: 'I want to say it because it touches my heart.' For much of the past year and a half, Francis had made nightly calls to Gaza's only Catholic church, offering his unwavering support to the congregation as they grappled with the pain and devastation of war. 'It was close to his heart,' said Brune. 'Since the war broke out, 3% of the Christians in Gaza have been killed.' The transformed popemobile is expected to be ready in a week or so, said Brune, and talks have been launched in the hope of obtaining permission from Israeli officials to bring it into Gaza. Brune described the situation on the ground as urgent. 'Since 2 March, no aid has been let into Gaza at all. It's horrible. A few months ago, when it was cold, children were freezing to death. Now they're starving to death.' While aid groups have warned that Israel's blockade of food and medicine into Gaza has left civilians in the territory facing starvation, Israel has said that the blockade, along with its renewed military campaign, is aimed at pressuring Hamas to release the remaining hostages. Unicef said last month that the conflict had killed more than 15,000 children, injured tens of thousands of others and left nearly 1 million children repeatedly displaced in the Gaza Strip, adding to warnings that the humanitarian situation had reached its worst point since the hostilities broke out in 2023. The war in Gaza was triggered by a surprise attack launched by Hamas into Israel on 7 October, in which militants killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 hostages. Israeli officials say 59 hostages remain in Gaza, more than half of whom are believed to be dead. Brune called for aid to be let in. 'It's forbidden to use civilians and, even worse, children as some kind of instrument in an ongoing war between adults,' he said. 'It's against all humanitarian principles and laws.' He hoped the popemobile's transformation would set a precedent of sorts, paving the way for other papal vehicles to be repurposed. 'Maybe Gaza now, but then Ukraine in the future or Congo or other places,' he said. 'Everywhere where humanitarian access is denied, we want to apply the principle of saying that the popemobile will stand for the importance of letting humanitarian aid come through.'
South China Morning Post
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Pope Francis donated a Popemobile to serve as mobile clinic for Gazan children
Before his death, Pope Francis donated one of his Popemobiles to be converted into a children's clinic in war-torn Gaza, Catholic charity Caritas said on Monday. Advertisement The iconic open-sided vehicle, designed to allow the pontiff to greet crowds of well-wishers, has been transferred to Caritas Jerusalem and will head to Gaza if and when Israel opens a humanitarian corridor. The car, a converted Mitsubishi, was used by the pope during a 2014 visit to Bethlehem, West Bank, and had since been on display, gathering dust and rust. It has now been repaired and refurbished as a mobile clinic. 'With the vehicle, we will be able to reach children who today have no access to healthcare – children who are injured and malnourished,' said Peter Brune, secretary general of Caritas Sweden. Brune said Sweden's Cardinal Anders Arborelius had asked the late pope, who died on April 21 aged 88, that the spare vehicle be put to use providing essential frontline healthcare to Palestinian children. Advertisement It will be fitted with medical equipment and a fridge for medicines and be assigned a driver and a team of doctors.
The National
05-05-2025
- Health
- The National
Pope Francis's popemobile to become health clinic for Gaza children
It was one of his final wishes, the Vatican's official media outlet said on Sunday. The vehicle, which was used by the late pontiff during his 2014 visit to the Middle East, is being outfitted with diagnostic and emergency medical equipment. He entrusted the initiative to Catholic aid organisation Caritas Jerusalem in the months before his death. READ MORE: Large convoy of Belgian army vehicles spotted near Scottish town "This is a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when the health system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed," Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, said. "It's not just a vehicle," Brune added. "It's a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza." It comes as Israel has approved plans to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the territory for an unspecified amount of time. Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in mid-March, Israel has unleashed fierce strikes on the territory that have killed hundreds. It has captured swathes of territory and now controls roughly 50% of Gaza. Before the truce ended, Israel halted all humanitarian aid into Gaza, including food, fuel and water, setting off what is believed to the be the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly 19 months of war. Israel's brutal war on Gaza has killed more than 52,000 people, many of them women and children.
Days of Palestine
05-05-2025
- Health
- Days of Palestine
The Popemobile of Peace: Pope Francis' Final Gift to Gaza's Children
DaysofPal- In a remarkable and deeply symbolic gesture, Pope Francis' iconic Popemobile is being transformed into a mobile health clinic for children in Gaza. This move comes as a final wish from the late Pope, who had consistently shown solidarity with the Palestinian people, especially amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. During his lifetime, Pope Francis was known for his unwavering commitment to the marginalized and vulnerable. His last request — that his popemobPopemobileile be converted into a life-saving clinic — reflects that mission and extends his legacy of peace and compassion even after his passing. The initiative is being spearheaded by Caritas Jerusalem, one of the few humanitarian organizations with a long-standing presence in Gaza. With the support of Caritas Sweden, the vehicle is being outfitted with critical medical equipment, including diagnostic tools, infection testing kits, vaccines, suture supplies, and other essential materials. The goal is to provide healthcare to children in the most isolated and underserved areas of Gaza once humanitarian access is restored. Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, emphasized the urgency and importance of the project: '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.' Since the war began, Gaza's infrastructure has been devastated, and children have borne the brunt of the suffering. Nearly a million have been displaced, many face malnutrition, untreated injuries, and preventable diseases. Pope Francis' heartfelt declaration that 'children are not numbers, they are faces, names, and stories' is now being turned into action. Photos released by Caritas show the popemobile being carefully adapted to meet the urgent healthcare needs of Gaza's children. Once completed, the mobile clinic will be staffed by trained doctors and medics and will travel to remote areas to provide urgent medical care where traditional health services no longer function. Anton Asfar, Secretary General of Caritas Jerusalem, described the project as more than just humanitarian aid. 'This vehicle represents the love, care, and closeness shown by His Holiness for the most vulnerable, which he expressed throughout the crisis,' he said. Brune echoed that sentiment, saying, 'It's not just a vehicle. It's a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza.' He added that the gesture serves as an invitation for the global community to remember — and to act. As Gaza continues to suffer under war, blockade, and humanitarian collapse, the 'Popemobile of Peace' stands as a symbol of enduring compassion, hope, and the responsibility to protect the most innocent lives caught in conflict. Shortlink for this post:
