The Roman Catholic Church is composed of the Latin Rite and the Eastern Rite Churches. In the United States the Western Church is known as the Roman Catholic Church, but nine Eastern Catholic Church jurisdictions also exist here: Armenian, Byelorussian, Chaldean, Melkite, Maronite, Romanian, Russian, Ruthenian, and Ukrainian. Bishops of these Rites, both Western and Eastern, are in communion with the Bishop of Rome and are members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Relations between the Church of Rome and the Church of England, formally severed in the 16th century, have always persisted, though they were often strained almost to the breaking point, as for instance in 1896 when Pope Leo XIII in the encyclical Apostolicae Curae declared Anglican Orders to be invalid. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York replied to Apostolicae Curae in a Responsio (1897). The Malines Conversations took place between members of the Church of England and Belgian and French Roman Catholics from 1921 to 1925. Pope Pius XI in his encyclical Mortalium Animos (1928) declared unity to be possible only through the absorption of other Christians into the Roman Catholic Church, and forbade Roman Catholics to take part in ecumenical conferences. The 1930 Lambeth Conference Committee on Unity commented: "'Complete Absorption' has been proposed to the exclusion of that suggested in the Conversations, as for example, in the paper read at Malines 'L'eglise Anglicane unie, non absorbee.' There are difficulties greater than perhaps were realized in the scheme proposed, but it has the great merit of attempting to recognize to some extent the autonomy which might be possible in a united Church."
A different spirit breathed from Pope Paul VI, whose address in 1970 on the canonization of the Forty English Martyrs included the following: "There will be no seeking to lessen the legitimate prestige and worthy patrimony of piety and usage proper to the Anglican Church when the Roman Catholic Church's humble 'Servant of the servants of God' is able to embrace her ever beloved sister in the one authentic Communion of the family of Christ: a communion of origin and of faith, a communion of priesthood and of rule, a communion of the saints in the freedom of love of the spirit of Jesus."
The pontificate of Pope John XXIII greatly improved the atmosphere for ecumenism. A new era in Anglican-Roman Catholic relations opened in 1960 with the courageous visit of Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher of Canterbury to Pope John. Since then the Archbishop of Canterbury has had a permanent representative in Rome, now located at the Anglican Centre in Rome http://www.anglicancentreinrome.org/.
The Anglican Communion was the first to accept Pope John XXIII's invitation to send Observer-Delegates to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The Council's dogmatic constitution De Ecclesia and its decree De Ecumenismo showed the Roman Catholic Church's new attitude to other churches, and an important declaration upholding the principle of religious liberty was also promulgated. The decree De Ecumenismo referred to the Anglican Communion as follows: "Other divisions arose more than four centuries later in the West, stemming from the events which are usually referred to as 'The Reformation.' As a result, many Communions, national or confessional, were separated from the Roman See. Among those in which Catholic traditions and institutions in part continue to exist, the Anglican Communion occupies a special place."
In 1966 Archbishop Michael Ramsey, in his dual capacity as Primate of All England and President of the Lambeth Conference, visited Pope Paul VI. The Pope and the Archbishop signed a Common Declaration which announced their intention to "inaugurate between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion a serious dialogue which, founded on the Gospels and on the ancient common traditions, may lead to that unity in truth, for which Christ prayed. The dialogue should include not only theological matters such as Scripture, Tradition, and Liturgy, but also matters of practical difficulty felt on either side."
A joint Preparatory Commission was soon appointed to draw up a program, and the first meeting of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) took place in 1966. ARCIC produced agreed statements on Eucharistic Doctrine, Ministry and Ordination, and Authority in the Church, and Elucidations responding to questions about the first two statements. In 1982 ARCIC produced The Final Report, comprised these texts plus an Introduction on ecclesiological propositions and an elucidation on the third statement.
The Anglican Consultative Council asked the Provinces of the Anglican Communion to study the report and respond to two questions by 1986 in preparation for a pronouncement from the 1988 Lambeth Conference: (1) whether the agreed statements on Eucharistic Doctrine, Ministry and Ordination, and Authority in the Church (I and II) together with Elucidations, are consonant in substance with the faith of Anglicans and (2) whether The Final Report offers a sufficient basis for taking the next concrete step towards the reconciliation of our Churches grounded in agreement in faith.
The then Vatican Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity asked Episcopal Conferences of the Roman Catholic Church to study the report and respond. The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith prepared preliminary Observations on the report as a contribution to the dialogue.
The 1982 visit of Pope John Paul II to England and his pilgrimage on the eve of Pentecost to Canterbury Cathedral, mother church of the Anglican Communion, was an extraordinary event, including a service of the Word, renewal of baptismal vows, and commemoration of twentieth century martyrs. Afterwards the Pope and Archbishop Robert Runcie of Canterbury signed a Common Declaration setting up a second Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission: "Its task will be to continue the work already begun: to examine, especially in light of our respective judgments on the The Final Report, the outstanding doctrinal differences which still separate us, with a view towards their eventual resolution; to study all that hinders the mutual recognition of the ministries of our Communions; and to recommend what practical steps will be necessary when, on the basis of our unity in faith, we are able to proceed to the restoration of full communion." ARCIC II began work in 1983 on the doctrine of justification, issuing the agreed statement on Salvation and the Church in 1987, available from Forward Movement Publications. This was commended for study and reflection by the 1988 General Convention. Another agreed statement on Church as Communion was issued in 1991, also available from Forward Movement Publications. It expanded what ARCIC I and II had already said about the Church as communion and showed the degree to which Anglicans and Roman Catholics already shared a true but imperfect communion.
In 1994, ARCIC II produced the agreed statement on Life in Christ: Morals, Communion and the Church, the first such statement from any international dialogue on moral issues. It describes a vision of the Christian life and its moral implications which is shared at root by Anglicans and Roman Catholics and shows how different emphases in areas of practical morality have arisen through the two communions living in separation, particularly contraception and remarriage after divorce where there is documented disagreement.
Returning to The Final Report, the 1979 General Convention had affirmed the two statements on Eucharistic Doctrine and Ministry and Ordination as "a statement of the faith of this Church in the matters concerned...a basis upon which to proceed in furthering the growth towards unity of the Episcopal Church and the Roman Catholic Church." The 1982 General Convention asked dioceses and seminaries to study and respond to the statement on Authority in the Church, and many did. The SCER gave the 1988 General Convention its evaluation of the The Final Report, including both affirmations and further questions for ARCIC II. The Convention voted that "the agreed statement on 'Authority in the Church (I and II)' of the Final Report of ARCIC represents a theological model of convergence towards which both of our Churches may grow and, in that sense, is sufficiently consonant in substance with the faith of this Church to justify further conversations and to offer a basis for taking further steps towards the reconciliation of our Churches grounded in agreement of faith."
Synodical responses to the The Final Report from the Provinces of the Anglican Communion were collated and brought to a meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council and then to the 1988 Lambeth Conference (see The Emmaus Report, 1987) so that the bishops might "discern and pronounce a consensus". It was of course understood that any canonically changed relationship consequent upon sufficient agreement in faith would rest with the synodical authority of each Province. The pronouncement in the form of a resolution follows:
This Conference:
1. Recognizes the Agreed Statements of ARCIC I on Eucharistic Doctrine, Ministry and Ordination, and their Elucidations, as consonant in substance with the faith of Anglicans and believes that this agreement offers a sufficient basis for taking the next step towards the reconciliation of our Churches grounded in agreement in faith.
2. Welcomes the assurance that, within an understanding of the Church as communion, ARCIC II is to explore further the particular issues of the reconciliation of ministries; the ordination of women; moral questions; and continuing questions of authority, including the relation of Scripture to the Church's developing Tradition and the role of the laity in decision-making within the Church.
3. Welcomes Authority in the Church (I and II) together with the Elucidation, as a firm basis for the direction and agenda of the continuing dialogue on authority and wishes to encourage ARCIC II to continue to explore the basis in Scripture and Tradition of the concept of a universal primacy, in conjunction with collegiality, as an instrument of unity, the character of such a primacy in practice, and to draw upon the experience of other Christian Churches in exercising primacy, collegiality and conciliarity....
The official response of the Vatican came in 1991 from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. It warmly welcomed The Final Report, saying that it "constitutes a significant milestone not only in relations between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Commission but in the ecumenical movement as a whole". It judges, however, "that it is not yet possible to state that substantial agreement has been reached on all the questions studied by the commission. There still remain between Anglicans and Catholics important differences regarding essential matters of Catholic Doctrine." A long explanatory note gives a detailed summary of the areas where difficulties or ambiguities are perceived, and hope is expressed that "this reply will contribute to the continual dialogue".
The Anglican reaction to the Vatican response was disappointment. A statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury noted that "the question to our two communions appears to have been understood as asking: Is the Final Report identical with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church? The argument of the response suggests that a difference in methodology may have led to this approach. If either communion requires that the other conform to its own theological formulations, further progress will be hazardous".
ARCIC II responded to the Vatican request for clarification about two parts of The Final Report in Clarifications on Eucharist and Ministry, 1994, available from Church House Publishing, London. A statement from Cardinal Cassidy printed with the clarifications says they have "indeed thrown new light on the question concerning Eucharist and Ministry,” that the agreements reached on these subjects are "greatly strengthened and no further study would seem to be required at this stage.” The Cardinal urged ARCIC II to move on to the third part of The Final Report on Authority in the Church. In 1999 ARCIC issued The Gift of Authority, which focused on the question of the interplay between lay and episcopal authority in the church, and between collegial and primatial exercising of episcopal authority. The 2003 General Convention approved The Episcopal Church’s formal response to The Gift of Authority. In 2005, the final statement from the current round of ARCIC dialogues was issued, Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ. [M1]
In May of 2000 a large number of Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops, including Presiding Bishop Griswold, Archbishop Carey, and Cardinal Edward Cassidy, met in Mississauga, Canada, to review over thirty years of dialogue between the two churches. The meeting produced a common statement, Communion in Mission, and an action plan to oversee the implementation of the initiatives outlined. The Mississauga Conference was a major breakthrough in Anglican-Roman Catholic Relations, breathing new life and energy into the dialogue. A continuing working group, the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission, continued to meet following the 2000 Mississauga Conference. In 2007 a report summarizing their work was issued, Growing Together in Mission and Unity, summarizing forty years of dialogue and exploring ways Anglicans and Roman Catholic might engage in joint mission work, available for download from the Anglican Communion website.
In the USA, the Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation began in 1965 to explore a variety of subjects affecting relationships between the two communions. The most prominent ARC-USA report was the "Agreed Statement on the Purpose of the Church.” This statement was affirmed by the 1979 General Convention "as a description of the mandate this Church has received to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." Among other reports, ARC-USA produced "Doctrinal Agreement and Christian Unity" (1972), a "Statement on the Ordination of Women" (1975), "Images of God: Reflections on Christian Anthropology (1983), and "Anglican Orders: A Report on the Evolving Context of their Evaluation in the Roman Catholic Church.” Currently ARC-USA is working on a congregational-based study guide which will review the agreements between the two churches and look at possible ways Anglicans and Roman Catholics might work together on the local level.
The international and USA dialogues are available in Called to Full Unity: Documents on Anglican-Roman Catholic Relations, 1966-1983 (Publishing Service, U.S. Catholic Conference, 3211 Fourth St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017).
A joint Standing Committee of Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical Officers (EDEO) and the Roman Catholic National Association of Diocesan Ecumenical Officers (NADEO) has produced reports on The Lived Experience: A Survey of U.S. ARC Covenants (1979), Tale of Three Cities: Ogden, Louisville, Tidewater: A Study of U.S. ARC Covenants (1980), ARC Marriages: A Study of U.S. Couples Living Episcopal-Roman Catholic Marriages (1981), Pastoral Care for ARC Couples: Models for Ministry to Engaged and Married Couples (1982), ARC Baptisms: Pastoral Perspective (1983), Progress Report (1984), and ARC Soundings: A U.S. Response to ARCIC I, Robert S. Ervin and Ernest R. Falardeau, Editors (1990). All are available through EDEO or the Ecumenical Office. Their most recent publication, Receiving the Vision: The Anglican - Roman Catholic Reality Today (The Liturgical Press, 1995), assesses the progress we have made and the difficulties still before us.
[M1]Update history
Relations between the Church of Rome and the Church of England, formally severed in the 16th century, have always persisted, though they were often strained almost to the breaking point, as for instance in 1896 when Pope Leo XIII in the encyclical Apostolicae Curae declared Anglican Orders to be invalid. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York replied to Apostolicae Curae in a Responsio (1897). The Malines Conversations took place between members of the Church of England and Belgian and French Roman Catholics from 1921 to 1925. Pope Pius XI in his encyclical Mortalium Animos (1928) declared unity to be possible only through the absorption of other Christians into the Roman Catholic Church, and forbade Roman Catholics to take part in ecumenical conferences. The 1930 Lambeth Conference Committee on Unity commented: "'Complete Absorption' has been proposed to the exclusion of that suggested in the Conversations, as for example, in the paper read at Malines 'L'eglise Anglicane unie, non absorbee.' There are difficulties greater than perhaps were realized in the scheme proposed, but it has the great merit of attempting to recognize to some extent the autonomy which might be possible in a united Church."
A different spirit breathed from Pope Paul VI, whose address in 1970 on the canonization of the Forty English Martyrs included the following: "There will be no seeking to lessen the legitimate prestige and worthy patrimony of piety and usage proper to the Anglican Church when the Roman Catholic Church's humble 'Servant of the servants of God' is able to embrace her ever beloved sister in the one authentic Communion of the family of Christ: a communion of origin and of faith, a communion of priesthood and of rule, a communion of the saints in the freedom of love of the spirit of Jesus."
The pontificate of Pope John XXIII greatly improved the atmosphere for ecumenism. A new era in Anglican-Roman Catholic relations opened in 1960 with the courageous visit of Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher of Canterbury to Pope John. Since then the Archbishop of Canterbury has had a permanent representative in Rome, now located at the Anglican Centre in Rome http://www.anglicancentreinrome.org/.
The Anglican Communion was the first to accept Pope John XXIII's invitation to send Observer-Delegates to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The Council's dogmatic constitution De Ecclesia and its decree De Ecumenismo showed the Roman Catholic Church's new attitude to other churches, and an important declaration upholding the principle of religious liberty was also promulgated. The decree De Ecumenismo referred to the Anglican Communion as follows: "Other divisions arose more than four centuries later in the West, stemming from the events which are usually referred to as 'The Reformation.' As a result, many Communions, national or confessional, were separated from the Roman See. Among those in which Catholic traditions and institutions in part continue to exist, the Anglican Communion occupies a special place."
In 1966 Archbishop Michael Ramsey, in his dual capacity as Primate of All England and President of the Lambeth Conference, visited Pope Paul VI. The Pope and the Archbishop signed a Common Declaration which announced their intention to "inaugurate between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion a serious dialogue which, founded on the Gospels and on the ancient common traditions, may lead to that unity in truth, for which Christ prayed. The dialogue should include not only theological matters such as Scripture, Tradition, and Liturgy, but also matters of practical difficulty felt on either side."
A joint Preparatory Commission was soon appointed to draw up a program, and the first meeting of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) took place in 1966. ARCIC produced agreed statements on Eucharistic Doctrine, Ministry and Ordination, and Authority in the Church, and Elucidations responding to questions about the first two statements. In 1982 ARCIC produced The Final Report, comprised these texts plus an Introduction on ecclesiological propositions and an elucidation on the third statement.
The Anglican Consultative Council asked the Provinces of the Anglican Communion to study the report and respond to two questions by 1986 in preparation for a pronouncement from the 1988 Lambeth Conference: (1) whether the agreed statements on Eucharistic Doctrine, Ministry and Ordination, and Authority in the Church (I and II) together with Elucidations, are consonant in substance with the faith of Anglicans and (2) whether The Final Report offers a sufficient basis for taking the next concrete step towards the reconciliation of our Churches grounded in agreement in faith.
The then Vatican Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity asked Episcopal Conferences of the Roman Catholic Church to study the report and respond. The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith prepared preliminary Observations on the report as a contribution to the dialogue.
The 1982 visit of Pope John Paul II to England and his pilgrimage on the eve of Pentecost to Canterbury Cathedral, mother church of the Anglican Communion, was an extraordinary event, including a service of the Word, renewal of baptismal vows, and commemoration of twentieth century martyrs. Afterwards the Pope and Archbishop Robert Runcie of Canterbury signed a Common Declaration setting up a second Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission: "Its task will be to continue the work already begun: to examine, especially in light of our respective judgments on the The Final Report, the outstanding doctrinal differences which still separate us, with a view towards their eventual resolution; to study all that hinders the mutual recognition of the ministries of our Communions; and to recommend what practical steps will be necessary when, on the basis of our unity in faith, we are able to proceed to the restoration of full communion." ARCIC II began work in 1983 on the doctrine of justification, issuing the agreed statement on Salvation and the Church in 1987, available from Forward Movement Publications. This was commended for study and reflection by the 1988 General Convention. Another agreed statement on Church as Communion was issued in 1991, also available from Forward Movement Publications. It expanded what ARCIC I and II had already said about the Church as communion and showed the degree to which Anglicans and Roman Catholics already shared a true but imperfect communion.
In 1994, ARCIC II produced the agreed statement on Life in Christ: Morals, Communion and the Church, the first such statement from any international dialogue on moral issues. It describes a vision of the Christian life and its moral implications which is shared at root by Anglicans and Roman Catholics and shows how different emphases in areas of practical morality have arisen through the two communions living in separation, particularly contraception and remarriage after divorce where there is documented disagreement.
Returning to The Final Report, the 1979 General Convention had affirmed the two statements on Eucharistic Doctrine and Ministry and Ordination as "a statement of the faith of this Church in the matters concerned...a basis upon which to proceed in furthering the growth towards unity of the Episcopal Church and the Roman Catholic Church." The 1982 General Convention asked dioceses and seminaries to study and respond to the statement on Authority in the Church, and many did. The SCER gave the 1988 General Convention its evaluation of the The Final Report, including both affirmations and further questions for ARCIC II. The Convention voted that "the agreed statement on 'Authority in the Church (I and II)' of the Final Report of ARCIC represents a theological model of convergence towards which both of our Churches may grow and, in that sense, is sufficiently consonant in substance with the faith of this Church to justify further conversations and to offer a basis for taking further steps towards the reconciliation of our Churches grounded in agreement of faith."
Synodical responses to the The Final Report from the Provinces of the Anglican Communion were collated and brought to a meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council and then to the 1988 Lambeth Conference (see The Emmaus Report, 1987) so that the bishops might "discern and pronounce a consensus". It was of course understood that any canonically changed relationship consequent upon sufficient agreement in faith would rest with the synodical authority of each Province. The pronouncement in the form of a resolution follows:
This Conference:
1. Recognizes the Agreed Statements of ARCIC I on Eucharistic Doctrine, Ministry and Ordination, and their Elucidations, as consonant in substance with the faith of Anglicans and believes that this agreement offers a sufficient basis for taking the next step towards the reconciliation of our Churches grounded in agreement in faith.
2. Welcomes the assurance that, within an understanding of the Church as communion, ARCIC II is to explore further the particular issues of the reconciliation of ministries; the ordination of women; moral questions; and continuing questions of authority, including the relation of Scripture to the Church's developing Tradition and the role of the laity in decision-making within the Church.
3. Welcomes Authority in the Church (I and II) together with the Elucidation, as a firm basis for the direction and agenda of the continuing dialogue on authority and wishes to encourage ARCIC II to continue to explore the basis in Scripture and Tradition of the concept of a universal primacy, in conjunction with collegiality, as an instrument of unity, the character of such a primacy in practice, and to draw upon the experience of other Christian Churches in exercising primacy, collegiality and conciliarity....
The official response of the Vatican came in 1991 from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. It warmly welcomed The Final Report, saying that it "constitutes a significant milestone not only in relations between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Commission but in the ecumenical movement as a whole". It judges, however, "that it is not yet possible to state that substantial agreement has been reached on all the questions studied by the commission. There still remain between Anglicans and Catholics important differences regarding essential matters of Catholic Doctrine." A long explanatory note gives a detailed summary of the areas where difficulties or ambiguities are perceived, and hope is expressed that "this reply will contribute to the continual dialogue".
The Anglican reaction to the Vatican response was disappointment. A statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury noted that "the question to our two communions appears to have been understood as asking: Is the Final Report identical with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church? The argument of the response suggests that a difference in methodology may have led to this approach. If either communion requires that the other conform to its own theological formulations, further progress will be hazardous".
ARCIC II responded to the Vatican request for clarification about two parts of The Final Report in Clarifications on Eucharist and Ministry, 1994, available from Church House Publishing, London. A statement from Cardinal Cassidy printed with the clarifications says they have "indeed thrown new light on the question concerning Eucharist and Ministry,” that the agreements reached on these subjects are "greatly strengthened and no further study would seem to be required at this stage.” The Cardinal urged ARCIC II to move on to the third part of The Final Report on Authority in the Church. In 1999 ARCIC issued The Gift of Authority, which focused on the question of the interplay between lay and episcopal authority in the church, and between collegial and primatial exercising of episcopal authority. The 2003 General Convention approved The Episcopal Church’s formal response to The Gift of Authority. In 2005, the final statement from the current round of ARCIC dialogues was issued, Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ. [M1]
In May of 2000 a large number of Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops, including Presiding Bishop Griswold, Archbishop Carey, and Cardinal Edward Cassidy, met in Mississauga, Canada, to review over thirty years of dialogue between the two churches. The meeting produced a common statement, Communion in Mission, and an action plan to oversee the implementation of the initiatives outlined. The Mississauga Conference was a major breakthrough in Anglican-Roman Catholic Relations, breathing new life and energy into the dialogue. A continuing working group, the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission, continued to meet following the 2000 Mississauga Conference. In 2007 a report summarizing their work was issued, Growing Together in Mission and Unity, summarizing forty years of dialogue and exploring ways Anglicans and Roman Catholic might engage in joint mission work, available for download from the Anglican Communion website.
In the USA, the Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation began in 1965 to explore a variety of subjects affecting relationships between the two communions. The most prominent ARC-USA report was the "Agreed Statement on the Purpose of the Church.” This statement was affirmed by the 1979 General Convention "as a description of the mandate this Church has received to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." Among other reports, ARC-USA produced "Doctrinal Agreement and Christian Unity" (1972), a "Statement on the Ordination of Women" (1975), "Images of God: Reflections on Christian Anthropology (1983), and "Anglican Orders: A Report on the Evolving Context of their Evaluation in the Roman Catholic Church.” Currently ARC-USA is working on a congregational-based study guide which will review the agreements between the two churches and look at possible ways Anglicans and Roman Catholics might work together on the local level.
The international and USA dialogues are available in Called to Full Unity: Documents on Anglican-Roman Catholic Relations, 1966-1983 (Publishing Service, U.S. Catholic Conference, 3211 Fourth St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017).
A joint Standing Committee of Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical Officers (EDEO) and the Roman Catholic National Association of Diocesan Ecumenical Officers (NADEO) has produced reports on The Lived Experience: A Survey of U.S. ARC Covenants (1979), Tale of Three Cities: Ogden, Louisville, Tidewater: A Study of U.S. ARC Covenants (1980), ARC Marriages: A Study of U.S. Couples Living Episcopal-Roman Catholic Marriages (1981), Pastoral Care for ARC Couples: Models for Ministry to Engaged and Married Couples (1982), ARC Baptisms: Pastoral Perspective (1983), Progress Report (1984), and ARC Soundings: A U.S. Response to ARCIC I, Robert S. Ervin and Ernest R. Falardeau, Editors (1990). All are available through EDEO or the Ecumenical Office. Their most recent publication, Receiving the Vision: The Anglican - Roman Catholic Reality Today (The Liturgical Press, 1995), assesses the progress we have made and the difficulties still before us.
[M1]Update history