Shafaqna English– In last wish, Pope Francis requested his popemobile to be transformed into a mobile health clinic for the children of Gaza.
Pope Francis’s legacy of peace continues to shine in the conflict-ridden world. The closeness he showed to the most vulnerable during his earthly mission is radiating even after his death, and this most recent surprise is no exception: His popemobile, the very vehicle from which he waved and was close to millions of faithful all around the world, is being transformed into a mobile health unit for the children of Gaza.
It was his final wish for the people to whom he had shown such solidarity throughout his pontificate, especially in the last years. And in his final months, the Pope entrusted the initiative to Caritas Jerusalem, seeking to respond to the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where nearly one million children have been displaced.
The repurposed popemobile is being outfitted with equipment for diagnosis, examination, and treatment – including rapid tests for infections, diagnostic instruments, vaccines, suture kits, and other life-saving supplies. It will be staffed by doctors and medics, reaching children in the most isolated corners of Gaza once humanitarian access to the strip is restored.
In a press release, Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, wrote that “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 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.
But “it’s not just a vehicle,” Brune said. “It’s a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza.” And it is also an invitation: that the rest of the world remember, too.
Source: Vatican News