The Church and its young priests must nowadays learn the fine art of discernment, Pope Francis has said.
"Not everything is black over white, or white over black. No! The shades of grey prevail in life," Francis said, quoted by the Jesuit fortnightly magazine Civilta Cattolica in its new issue.
The "rigid" teaching methods used in some seminaries risk producing priests who are incapable of such discernment, he warned.
Francis made the remarks to some 30 members of his own Jesuit religious order last month during his five-day visit to southern Poland to attend the World Youth Day celebrations held in Krakow.