More on listening:
173: Naturally, this attitude of listening entails obedience to the Gospel as the ultimate standard, but also to the Magisterium that guards it, as we seek to find in the treasury of the Church whatever is most fruitful for the “today” of salvation.
Surprised that Pope Francis would cite the teaching authority of the Church? Shouldn’t be. He’s not advocating a slavish obedience to past decisions, but rather a healthy respect for the discernment of spirits.
It is not a matter of applying rules or repeating what was done in the past, since the same solutions are not valid in all circumstances and what was useful in one context may not prove so in another. The discernment of spirits liberates us from rigidity, which has no place before the perennial “today” of the risen Lord. The Spirit alone can penetrate what is obscure and hidden in every situation, and grasp its every nuance, so that the newness of the Gospel can emerge in another light.
You can check the full document Gaudete et Exsultate on the Vatican website.
