Pope Francis had a special affection for the suffering people of Gaza. Since the start of the conflict there, he called the priest of the Strip's only parish nearly every day.
Now, the people of Gaza will have another gift from the pope: one of his popemobiles is being transformed into a mobile health unit.
The Pope asked Caritas Jerusalem to spearhead the project. The popemobile will become a mobile clinic, outfitted with equipment for diagnoses and treatments, and able to reach the most isolated corners of Gaza.
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 is a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when the health system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed,” he added.
An interview with Fr. Romanelli
... We try, as much as possible, to maintain a kind of spiritual discipline, keeping up the rhythm of parish life. We rely above all on adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
What gives us the most strength is having the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist with us.
In the mornings, we start the day with an hour of Eucharistic adoration, followed by Lauds in Arabic, the Rosary in the afternoon, and we finish with Mass.
An invitation to never forget
But “it’s not just a vehicle,” Brune said. “It’s a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza.”
There are nearly one million displaced children in the Gaza Strip.
See photos here.
