Pope Francis’ 2014 Bethlehem popemobile reborn as “Vehicle of Hope” mobile children’s clinic for Gaza, fulfilling his final wish. Deployment awaits Israeli approval.
Newsroom (26/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) The white popemobile that carried Pope Francis through cheering crowds in Bethlehem’s Manger Square in 2014 was unveiled Tuesday as a fully equipped children’s medical clinic destined for the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, fulfilling what the Vatican describes as the late pontiff’s “final wish.”
Dubbed the “Vehicle of Hope,” the iconic modified Mitsubishi, still gleaming white with its trademark raised glass canopy, will serve as a mobile triage and treatment unit capable of conducting up to 200 pediatric consultations per day.
Cardinal Anders Arborelius, Bishop of Stockholm, blessed the vehicle at a ceremony just steps from the Church of the Nativity before declaring it ready for deployment.
“This vehicle stands as a testament: the world has not forgotten the children of Gaza,” the cardinal told reporters. “This is not just a vehicle; it’s a message of compassion, dignity and hope.”
Inside, the pontiff’s former seat has been preserved so that each child examined will literally sit where Pope Francis once sat. The open sides have been screened for privacy and the interior fitted with medical equipment for examinations, vaccinations, wound stitching, infection testing and basic diagnostics.
The transformation, carried out by Palestinian mechanics under the supervision of Caritas, cost $15,000. Originally a gift to Francis from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during the pope’s May 2014 Holy Land visit, the vehicle was later entrusted to Franciscan friars in Bethlehem.
Following Pope Francis’ death on April 21, 2025, at age 88, the Vatican revealed that one of his last expressed desires was for the popemobile to be repurposed as a mobile health unit for Gaza’s children.
“The children of Gaza were very close to the heart of Pope Francis,” said Peter Brune, secretary general of Caritas Sweden. “They will sit on the seat of the pope and be treated like the most valuable person on Earth.”
Entry into Gaza, however, remains uncertain. A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect October 10 after two years of conflict that destroyed or damaged most of the enclave’s healthcare infrastructure.
Caritas secretary general Alistair Dutton stressed the urgency of access. “As with all humanitarian assistance, we urgently need access to Gaza,” he said. “We’re working through the official channels to get this in as quickly as possible.”
No date has yet been set for the Vehicle of Hope to cross into the territory.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
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