00:01Pope Leo XIV is holding a mass in Santa Cruz de Suchabamba in northern Peru on Saturday as he
00:07continues his tour of South America, drawing huge crowds as people seek to catch a glimpse
00:12of the 71-year-old pontiff. On Friday, the Pope returned to his adopted hometown of Chiclayo,
00:19where he served as bishop from 2015 to 2023. He went to one of the poorest neighborhoods to
00:26visit a chapel he helped rebuild, and also spoke at the city's Catholic university.
00:32On Saturday, the Pope is also visiting the hub of Afro-Peruvian culture in the city of Zania,
00:38where he often visited as bishop of Chiclayo. But the huge crowds turning out to see the Pope
00:44have prompted heightened fears among health authorities in Latin America, which has seen
00:48a surge in measles cases this year. The concern is mainly linked to low vaccination rates in some
00:55countries, particularly Argentina and Peru. It comes as measles cases in the U.S. have also
01:01exploded due to slipping vaccination rates. In the run-up to the Pope's visit, Peruvian
01:07authorities stepped up vaccination campaigns, focusing especially on areas with higher transmission rates.
