Roman Catholic bishops to discuss nuclear arms

Leading European and American prelates meet here this week in an effort to clarify the Roman Catholic church's ideas on nuclear arms. As Vatican officials prepared for the informal meeting, Pope John Paul II Jan. 15 appealed directly to the Soviet Union and the US to achieve swift and substantial results in their nuclear arms reduction talks in Geneva.

The Pope also condemned capital punishment for the first time Jan. 15, urging governments to show clemency for prisoners condemned to death.