US bishops doing A-paper hear Europeans' views

Four bishops, members of a US Roman Catholic committee drafting a position paper on nuclear weapons, met behind closed doors here Tuesday with some of their European counterparts. The European bishops were expected to urge the Americans to moderate their stand on disarmament.

The focus of discussion is reportedly a landmark pastoral letter on nuclear arms being drafted by the US committee and expected to be released this spring. Church sources in Rome said Tuesday's meeting was organized by the Vatican so the European bishops could comment on the theological basis of the letter, which has caused widespread debate in the US church.