The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission sprang from the historic meeting of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey, and Pope Paul VI in 1966. The Common Declaration issued on that occasion expressed the intention of both to inaugurate a “serious dialogue” which they hoped would “lead to that unity, for which Christ prayed”.

The Anglican-Roman Catholic Joint Preparatory Commission (ARCJPC) which met in the wake of that meeting gave its report in Malta in January 1968, which set the Commission’s terms of reference.

ARCIC has completed two phases, ARCIC-I (1970-1981) and ARCIC-II (1983-2005) and in 2011 began its third phase, ARCIC-III.