Bishops end Vatican talks on A-arms pastoral letter

American and European Roman Catholic prelates ended discussions of the US bishops' draft pastoral letter about nuclear arms by reaffirming the church's ''moral authority and responsibility'' on the issue.

Chicago Archbishop Joseph Bernardin, chairman of the United States committee drafting the letter, said the bishops were in agreement on the basic principles and teachings of the church, but that ''whatever differences of opinion there might have been stemmed from the application of those principles to concrete reality.'' He said the American bishops would consider their colleagues' suggestions in the final drafting of the letter.