The Vatican is to publish on July 7 Pope Benedict XVI’s long-awaited papal pronouncement on resurrecting the use of the old Latin mass, rejected in 1969 in favour of mass celebrated in a country’s own language.

The document, called motu proprio, because it is the Pope’s personal initiative, is causing turmoil among Catholic liberals, who see it as undoing the reforms stemming from the Second Vatican council of 1962-65.