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<center>
<img height='275' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1037.jpg'> 
Fiat Campagnola "Popemobile" 
Scott 1037 (1997)</center>
 
In one of his final acts before he died in April, Pope Francis designated one of the "Popemobiles" to be converted into a mobile health unit to serve the children of Gaza. According to the Vatican’s Caritas charitable federation (with offices in Sweden and Jerusalem), the refitted vehicle will be used for the diagnosis, examination, and treatment of children impacted by the ongoing conflict.
 
Given the current state of the conflict in Gaza, the date that the vehicle will go into service in the region is yet to be determined. In a statement released by Caritas Jerusalem, "when the humanitarian corridor to Gaza reopens, it (the popemobile) will be ready to give primary healthcare to children in Gaza.”
 
The new medical vehicle will have a variety of medical supplies, including testing equipment, suture kits, syringes and needles, oxygen, and vaccines. It will also have a refrigerator for the storage of perishable materials. Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, stated:
<blockquote>“[With the retrofitted Popemobile], we will be able to reach children who today have no access to health care--children who are injured and malnourished…[It] is not just a vehicle. It’s a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza.” </blockquote>
Here is a photo of Pope Francis in a similar Popemobile during a visit to the Philippines in 2015. The reference articles also have photos of the Popemobile in action, both carrying Pope Francis and being prepared for its new role as an emergency medical unit.
 
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<img height='375' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Pope_Francis_in_Popemobile_in_Philippines_2015.jpg'> 
Pope Francis In the Philippines, January 16, 2015 
Photo by jojo nicdao, from Wikimedia Commons 
Used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license</center>
 
REFERENCES: 
<li>APNews.com, May 5, 2025, <a href='https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-popemobile-gaza-children-caritas-vatican-83fa693f8fe605e89960a810e08afaad'>Pope Francis donated a popemobile to serve as a mobile health unit for Gaza children</a> 
<li>Franscesca Merlo, VaticanNews.com, May 4, 2025, <a href='https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-05/the-popemobile-of-peace-pope-francis-final-gift-to-gaza.html'>The Popemobile of Peace: Pope Francis’ final gift to Gaza</a> 
<li>Vatican Philatelic Society website, www.vaticanstamps.org, Stamp Database Search

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The Pope's Final Gift
1037
From Popemobile to Mobile Medical Unit. Read about this gift from Pope Francis by clicking <a href='https://vaticanstamps.org/cms/P2view.php?id=334249'>here.</a>

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