The Vatican is to launch its first radio bulletin in Latin, with translators facing the challenge of how to render modern concepts such as the suicide bomber, mini-skirt and popcorn into the language of Horace and Cicero.

The first five-minute bulletin will be broadcast on Vatican Radio on Saturday, becoming a regular weekly event.

The programme will be called Hebdomada Papae, notitiae vaticanae latine redditae or The Pope's week - Vatican news in Latin.

Latin may be regarded as a dead language by much of the world but it is still in daily use by the Holy See.

Pope Benedict famously announced his historic resignation in 2013 in Latin, to the bewilderment of an audience of archbishops, few of whom understood what he was saying.