Pope Francis’ final wish is being fulfilled as his popemobile, once a global symbol of pastoral outreach, is converted into a mobile health clinic for children in war-torn Gaza.
The late pontiff entrusted the initiative to Caritas Jerusalem in the final months of his life, as a gesture of solidarity with children bearing the brunt of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The vehicle is being equipped to deliver medical services in areas with little to no healthcare access due to ongoing conflict and infrastructure collapse.
It was his final wish for the people to whom he had shown such solidarity throughout his pontificate, especially in the last years, reported Vatican News.
The popemobile is being fitted with diagnostic tools, vaccines, suture kits, and other emergency supplies. Caritas officials said the mobile unit will be staffed by doctors and medics and deployed as soon as humanitarian corridors into Gaza are restored.
Pope Francis had frequently emphasized the dignity and individuality of children amid crises. “Children are not numbers. They are faces. Names. Stories. And each one is sacred,” he once said—a conviction now embodied in this project.
Caritas Sweden Secretary General Peter Brune said the intervention responds directly to the urgent needs of children in Gaza.
“With the vehicle, we will be able to reach children who today have no access to health care – children who are injured and malnourished,” he said. “This is a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when the health system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed.”
Caritas Jerusalem, which has operated in Gaza for years under challenging conditions, is leading the implementation.
“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.
Photos released by Caritas show the modified popemobile being prepared for its new mission. Beyond its medical function, organizers say it carries a broader symbolic message.
“It’s not just a vehicle,” Brune said. “It’s a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza.”
The project stands as one of Pope Francis’ final acts of mercy—an enduring reminder of his commitment to those most often left behind.
