The purpose of this study is to show how American Catholic bishops go about preparing a pastoral letter on a public issue. The actual preparation of a pastoral letter includes a number of complicated issues. The first two chapters provide background on the bishops' current letter. "Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy," tracing the recent history of Catholic social teaching, and the progress of the committee charged with drafting the letter. Chapter 3 assesses the breadth of the committee's consultation and its response to criticism of the draft. Chapter 4 surveys the political outlook of the committee members and their chief advisors. Chapter 5, the final chapter, treats a subject that is now hotly debated among Catholic theologians: the teaching authority of a bishop's conference. (BZ)