FROM NBC NEWS: A vehicle used by the late Pope Francis during a visit to Bethlehem more than a decade ago has been transformed into a mobile health clinic that Christian leaders hope will soon be used to provide care to Palestinian children in Gaza.
The initiative was blessed by Francis before he died in April and was entrusted to the Catholic organization Caritas, which oversaw the project to convert the vehicle unveiled on Tuesday.
Francis had used the vehicle, a converted Mitsubishi pick-up that was donated by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, during his visit to Bethlehem in 2014.
The platform on the back of the vehicle, formerly used by the pope to stand and sit on as he travelled through Bethlehem, is now enclosed and has been converted into a treatment area.
“We’re pleased that we have here a serious contribution towards the healthcare of children in Gaza,” Caritas Secretary-General Alistair Dutton told a news conference in Bethlehem.
READ MORE AT NBC NEWS
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