Late Pope Francis’ Popemobile-Turned-Clinic Blocked from Entering Gaza

Bethlehem, June 5, 2025: Prior to his death, Pope Francis donated the popemobile he used during his 2014 visit to Bethlehem to be converted into a mobile clinic for children in Gaza. However, the vehicle remains unable to enter the region due to ongoing border closures and security restrictions, according to a June 4 report by the Catholic News Agency (CNA).

Caritas Jerusalem, which was personally entrusted by the late pontiff to oversee the initiative, refurbished the iconic vehicle with essential medical equipment and transformed it into a mobile health clinic. The clinic aimed to provide basic medical care to children in the Gaza Strip amid the worsening humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing conflict with Israel.

“We are still working in coordination with government agencies to ensure the popemobile enters Gaza. But the borders remain closed, and in my opinion, it will not be possible in the near future,” said Harout Bedrossian, press officer for Caritas Jerusalem, in a statement to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language partner of CNA.

Bedrossian noted that although some humanitarian aid is reaching Gaza, it is controlled by military distribution points and is not effective.

One of the main problems facing Caritas on the ground is the shortage of permits issued by the Israeli government to enter Gaza: “Obtaining permits to enter Gaza from Israel is a very arduous and lengthy process. From Egypt, it is a little easier, but as I said, all borders are currently closed.”

Access to Gaza continues to be tightly restricted, particularly at the Rafah crossing with Egypt, where no movement has been allowed in recent days. The ongoing closure has also disrupted other humanitarian efforts in the region.

Source: Catholic News Agency

Image Courtesy: Caritas