Rigid thinking isn't divine, Pope tells staff of Jesuit magazine

Discernment is needed to understand life's ambiguities, not rigid thinking that tends to silence the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis has said.

True discernment can only be achieved by interpreting the signs of the times and listening to the sufferings of others, especially the poor, the Pope told editors and staff of an Italian Jesuit journal.

"Rigid thinking is not divine because Jesus assumed our flesh, which is not rigid except at the time of death," he said.

The Pope met the editors and staff of La Civilta Cattolica, a Jesuit-run magazine founded by Pope Pius IX in 1850. The Rome-based biweekly continues to be reviewed by the Vatican Secretariat of State before publication.