One of Pope Francis’ last wishes before he died was that one of his “popemobiles” (special vehicles the Pope uses to greet the faithful and at official events) be donated to the residents of Gaza and serve as a mobile clinic. Now Caritas says that the necessary changes have been completed: however, the Israeli government has not allowed the pope’s car to enter the Gaza Strip, where the entry of humanitarian aid and basic necessities is limited even though a ceasefire has been in place since October.
The process of converting a Popemobile into a mobile clinic (REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma)
Various medical equipment has been placed in the vehicle, including a refrigerator for storing medicines, and can be used for administering vaccines, among other things. The pope’s car in question is one of many used by Pope Francis during his pontificate: it was a Mitsubishi given to him by Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian National Authority (a body that governs limited parts of the West Bank) during a visit to the region in 2014, and since that year it has been on display in Bethlehem.
Pope Francis is very close to the situation of Palestinian Christians, and starting from Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip, he was in almost daily contact with Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest of the Church of the Holy Family, the only Catholic community in the region.
– Read also: What a big history the Holy Family Church has in Gaza
