Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC)

The Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) is the principal theological dialogue between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church, tasked with the goal of restoring full, visible unity. Guided by the department for Unity, Faith and Order, the Commission’s work across five decades has been consistently framed by the foundational concept of koinonia (communion)—a shared participation in the life of God.

This scriptural vision has guided a progressive and deepening conversation. The Commission’s journey has systematically addressed the core issues of division, beginning with the sacraments that form our communion (the Eucharist), moving to the ministry that serves it (Ordination), the authority that guides it, and the shared moral life it entails.

This page outlines the key agreements reached by ARCIC on its path toward reconciliation and shared witness.

Click here to review all of the ARCIC documents in our Resource Library

The Foundational Agreements of ARCIC I (1971-1981)

ARCIC I (1970-1981) was the first Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, established following the historic 1966 meeting between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey. Its mission was to address the major theological disagreements that had divided the two churches since the 16th-century Reformation through serious dialogue and scholarship.

The commission sought to move beyond historical controversies by examining whether the two traditions could find “substantial agreement” on core doctrinal matters—the Eucharist, ordained ministry, and Church authority. Rather than papering over differences, it aimed to use contemporary theological language to see if past divisions were genuinely church-dividing or could be reconciled.

ARCIC I was groundbreaking in the ecumenical movement, producing agreed statements that showed remarkable convergence between traditions that had been separated for over 400 years, though questions remained about whether the agreements were sufficient to overcome all obstacles to full communion.

Use the drop down buttons to get a summary of each stage of ARCIC I.

DOWNLOAD THE FINAL REPORT OF ARCIC I




This statement reached a substantial agreement on the Eucharist by re-framing its sacrificial nature through the biblical concept of anamnesis (memorial).

It affirms that the Eucharist is the Church’s “effectual proclamation” of Christ’s atoning work, making the benefits of his once-for-all sacrifice effective in the present. The commission also agreed that through the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine “become” the body and blood of Christ, signifying his true, sacramental presence.

“The eucharistic memorial is no mere calling to mind of a past event or of its significance, but the Church’s effectual proclamation of God’s mighty acts.”

This agreement situates the ordained ministry as a service to the “priesthood of all the faithful,” providing a focus of leadership and unity (episkope). It affirms that ordination is a sacramental act that confers a distinct and irrevocable calling from Christ. Crucially, by building on the shared understanding of the Eucharist, this statement placed the historical difficulties regarding Anglican Orders in a “new context.”

“The goal of the ordained ministry is to serve this priesthood of all the faithful. Like any human community the church requires a focus of leadership and unity, which the Holy Spirit provides in the ordained ministry”.

This statement affirms that all authority flows from Christ and is exercised through the interdependent work of Scripture, the ordained ministry (episkope), and the faithful reception of the whole community (sensus fidelium). Its most significant conclusion is the agreement that a universal primacy, serving the unity of the whole Church, is needed and that it seems “appropriate” for this primacy to be held by the see of Rome.

“It seems appropriate that in any future union a universal primacy such as has been described should be held by that see [of Rome]”.

Responded to critiques and questions about the earlier statements on Eucharist and Ministry. Clarified specific points like transubstantiation terminology, the propitiatory nature of the Eucharist, and the sacramentality of ordination.

Tackled more contentious issues including papal infallibility, universal jurisdiction, and Marian dogmas. Explored conditions for exercising universal primacy and the relationship between papal authority and collegiality.

Further clarified the authority statements, addressing remaining questions about the exercise of primacy and infallibility.

Deepening Communion: The Work of ARCIC II (1983-2005)

ARCIC II (1983-2005) was the second phase of Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue, established following a Common Declaration by Pope John Paul II and Archbishop Robert Runcie in Canterbury in 1982. It broadened the work of ARCIC I, which had focused primarily on Eucharist, Ministry, and Authority. The commission moved beyond the classic points of division to explore the wider implications of a shared life in Christ. This phase delved into essential topics such as salvation, the nature of the Church as communion (koinonia), shared moral principles, and the role of Mary in the life of faith.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FINAL REPORT OF ARCIC II.


This statement addresses the doctrine of salvation, a central cause of the Reformation. It concludes that Anglicans and Roman Catholics are agreed on the essential aspects of this doctrine, affirming that justification and sanctification are “two aspects of the same divine act”. God’s act of pronouncing a person righteous is also what begins the process of making them righteous, with good works understood as the necessary fruit of a living faith.

“By pronouncing us righteous, God also makes us righteous. He imparts a righteousness which is his and becomes ours”

This statement concludes that both communions share the same fundamental moral values, based on a “controlling vision of humanity created in the image of God and recreated in Christ”. It argues that disagreements on specific issues (like divorce or contraception) are not over core principles but are “derived conclusions” that have been aggravated by the breach of communion itself, reflecting different structures of teaching authority.

“Those who share one faith in Christ will share one life in Christ. Hence the title of this statement: Life in Christ: Morals, Communion and the Church”.

This document addressed moral teaching and ethical discernment. It challenged the belief that Anglicans and Catholics are most divided by moral teaching. It argued both communions share the same fundamental moral values derived from Scripture and Tradition. It examined the “mind of Christ” as expressed in the Sermon on the Mount and commandment to love. It explored how moral teaching is developed and communicated. It noted a key difference: Anglicans favor dispersed authority and commendatory teaching, while Catholics emphasise centralised magisterial teaching that can be prescriptive and binding. It touched on specific issues like human sexuality, marriage after divorce, and contraception.

Building on the work of ARCIC I, this text reframes authority as a “gift of God to bring reconciliation and peace”. It significantly advances the consensus on universal primacy, affirming that the primate has a “specific ministry concerning the discernment of truth” and can, in certain circumstances and in service to the whole church, “discern and make explicit” the authentic faith.

“Anglicans and Roman Catholics want to witness, both to the churches and to the world, that authority rightly exercised is a gift of God to bring reconciliation and peace to humankind”.

This statement finds a path to agreement on the two Marian dogmas (the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption) by viewing Mary through an eschatological lens as a prophetic figure of the Church. It affirms that the dogmas are “consonant with the teaching of the Scriptures” as they articulate the fullness of grace that Mary received as the mother of the Saviour, a hope promised to the whole Church.

“This is the pattern of grace and hope which we see at work in the life of Mary, who holds a distinctive place in the common destiny of the Church as the one who bore in her own flesh ‘the Lord of glory’”.

A New Methodology: The Work of ARCIC III (2011-Present)

The third and current phase of ARCIC, inaugurated in 2011, marks a significant evolution in the dialogue’s methodology. Building on the high level of trust and agreement established over decades, ARCIC III has adopted the approach of “Receptive Ecumenism”.

This method focuses on mutual learning and renewal, inviting each communion to examine its own structures and discern what it can receive as a gift from the other for its own enrichment and reform.

Click here to read the final report on ARCIC III

This first statement from ARCIC III examines how both communions structure and maintain communion at the local, regional, and universal levels. Using a distinctive side-by-side format, it compares the instruments of communion in each tradition (e.g., diocesan synods, bishops’ conferences, the Instruments of the Anglican Communion, and the Roman Curia). The process invites each church to identify areas of weakness in its own life and learn from the strengths of its partner, reframing ecumenism as a vital tool for internal reform and renewal.

“This method invites both traditions to repentance and conversion, by looking at what is underdeveloped or wounded in themselves. It is also predicated on the belief that in our dialogue partner we meet a community in which the Holy Spirit is alive and active”.