Pope Benedict said Christians of all denominations should come to agreement on ethical matters, especially regarding human life, family and sexuality.

The pope, in a meeting Jan. 19 with an ecumenical group of Catholic and Lutheran leaders from Finland, said differences among Christians regarding the "proper understanding of human nature and its dignity" had grown in recent years.

He urged coming together to reach "a profound agreement" on anthropological questions so that society and policymakers could be guided in their decisions regarding important areas of human behaviour, the role of the family and sexuality.