More progress in ecumenics urged

Ireland had made great progress in economics but Ireland should make more progress in ecumenics, the theologian Father Hans Kung said in Dublin last night. "The churches have to do something about it," he said.

In a UCD millennium lecture, on "Global Ethic - a Vision for the 21st Century", Father Kung said "We do not need any more ecumenical commissions, we need more accelerated integration of ecclesial communities".

Speaking in the context of developments in the North at the weekend, Dr Kung said he hoped the IRA statement would be accepted by Northern Ireland's Protestants. Later in his address, speaking of the need for leaders who had the moral energy and ethical principle, he commented that the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, had said to him it was an outrage in this day and age that Catholics and Protestants should be fighting in the North.

Father Kung told his audience that a third Vatican Council would be called "in our lifetime." It would deal with issues such as the contraceptive pill, married priests, the ordination of women, and the admission of divorced people to the sacraments.

He hoped the future Pope would be one "who will travel less and study more" and would also acknowledge the validity of Anglican Orders. He also hoped the next Pope would return the papacy to a pastoral service role, instead of the medieval authoritarian model currently favoured.

On the necessity for a global ethic, he said there would be no peace among nations without peace among religions; no peace among religions without dialogue between religions, and no dialogue between religions without minimum ethical standards. Towards such an ethic he noted the seemingly general agreement worldwide on certain principles. The first commandment was that every human being should be treated in a truly human way - "humanely," and the second commandment might be as proposed by Confusius 500 years before Jesus: "what you not want to be done to yourself do not do to others," he said.

He elaborated "four imperatives of humanity": respect for all life, honest and fair dealings with others, speaking and acting truthfully, respecting and loving each other. These principles were found in all religions, Father Kung said, and could also be accepted by non-believers. They were the "necessary minimum of common values."