The Anglican-Catholic International Commission

Since its inception ARCIC has followed a predictable pattern. The Commission works on an agreed statement during the course of which the Anglicans largely betray their heritage. Although there appear to be concessions on behalf of the Roman Catholics the reports are sent to the Vatican where, after several years, the full-blown Roman position is re-asserted.

Within the Church of England ARCIC reports are rarely brought to the General Synod for fear that they will be rejected. Thus, although they are never adopted by the Anglican Communion or the Church of England these reports come to be seen as representing the official Anglican position.

ARCIC has been replaced by IARCCUM

ARCIC has done its work in two parts.

ARCIC I

ARCIC I was established in 1970 .  It had been commissioned in by Archbishop Michael Ramsey and Pope Paul VI with the 1968 Lambeth Conference and the Vatican Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity.

ARCIC I produced four reports and all these were bundled together in the Final Report.  Three of the statements had received an elucidation.

• Eucharistic Doctrine (Windsor 1971)
• Eucharistic Doctrine : Elucidation (Salisbury 1979)
• Ministry and Ordination (Canterbury 1973)
• Ministry and Ordination : Elucidation (Salisbury 1979)
• Authority in the Church I (Venice 1976)
• Authority in the Church I : Elucidation (Windsor 1981)
• Authority in the Church II (Windsor 1981)
• Final Report (1982)

See also Clarifications

ARCIC II

ARCIC II was set up in 1982 on the mandate of Pope John Paul II and Archbishop Robert Runcie.  So far there have been four statements and one to come.

• Salvation in and the Church (1987)
• The Church as Communion (1991)
• Life in Christ (1994)
• The Gift of Authority (1999)
• Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ (2005)

Links to material on the ARCIC reports

Seattle Statement, "Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ"

• ACNS News item from February 2004

The Gift of Authority

• Background to The Gift of Authority. Roger Beckwith examines the background to this particular ARCIC Report (Cross†Way 92 article)

• General Synod resolution February 2004 and comment from Church Society.

• Churchman review article by Gerald Bray

• Articles written in anticipation of the report

• Authority in the Church (Response from 2002)

• The Politics of Unity: Cross†Way article on the February 2004 General Synod debate on the Gift of Authority

Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ (2005)

• ARCIC on Mary - or things vainly invented.

• ARCIC on the Mother of Our Lord. Churchman article by Roger Beckwith.

• Invocation of the Saints - Article 22 and ARCIC. Cross†Way article about how the ARCIC Report on Mary attempts to justify the practice of invoking the prayers of the Saints.

• Letter to Vatican about Mary - Press release from Church Society and press release.

Other Material

Clarifications

After the Final Report of ARCIC I came a report entitled Clarifications.  This was an attempt by ARCIC to explain their language in such a way as to make it compatible with Roman dogma.

• Eric Bramhall on Clarifications

Eucharist Sacrament of Unity

• 'When the chickens come home to roost!' - Article from Cross†Way 2001 on the House of Bishop's report E.S.U. which was itself a response to the English Roman Catholic teaching document 'One Body one Bread'.

Press releases

• Anglican Anger Naive (July 2001)

• Primacy (November 2001)