Cardinal Anders Arborelius announced that the white Mitsubishi vehicle which served Pope Francis during his visit to Bethlehem in 2014, known as the "Popemobile," will become a mobile clinic for the sick and injured children of Gaza.
"The Pope's car is a very concrete sign that Pope Francis is concerned about all the suffering of children in Gaza, even after his death," announced Cardinal Arborelius.
The initiative is from the Catholic charity Caritas, which proposed to use Pope Francis's vehicle for the benefit of treating the children of Gaza.
Throughout the war in Gaza, the Pope expressed concern for the children and people of Gaza who were harmed in the war against Israel. Peter Baron, Secretary General of the Catholic charity, said that "We call it a vehicle of hope, because it conveys a message to the children of Gaza that peace is possible, that there will be peace, that you will have a future, and that the world has not forgotten you. And there is also the very practical aspect that it will provide medical assistance to the injured children."
He mentioned that the idea was first raised last year and was communicated to the Pope, who blessed it. "We received a letter from the Pope stating, 'Yes, I am happy to say that I fully support this idea.' It is a concrete and life-saving intervention at a time when the healthcare system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed," Baron said.
The Mitsubishi vehicle has remained in Bethlehem since the Pope's visit in 2014, and has been refitted with laboratory test kits, a medicine refrigerator, oxygen tanks, and additional medical equipment.