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But, as already discussed, their mileage may - and does! - vary considerably.

Yep, and just as the Catholic Church varies over time. There are no perfect answers, but we all must seek God with all our hearts. If you want to rely on the Church for the answers, that is your call, but that is not what I see the Bible says.

Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

1 Chronicles 28:9
"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Better understanding of the Truth over time - what we call "development of doctrine" - is not the same as doctrinal contradiction. To mine Scripture and Tradition for greater nuance or expansion of applicability to new situations is not necessarily to create fundamental contradictions or novelties. Besides, all denominations do this, otherwise, the only Christian book sold should be the Bible itself; all other books treating to Christian themes - expansions or "development" of the Bible itself - should be considered illegitimate and unnecessary by all believers! Yet we see a vast proliferation of edifying books on Christian themes - including, especially, non-Catholic "commentaries" on the Bible! - sold everywhere, by every denomination.

The Church certainly lays claim to the right to development of doctrine. It is not, however, guilty of creating doctrine out of wholecloth. If the fundamental core of any doctrine cannot be found in the Deposit of Faith, then it cannot be "doctrine" at all.

A good example of this is the prohibition of women in the priesthood. The bottom-line, according to JP II, is that the Church "has no authority" to ordain women, because such an action is not found in the Deposit of Faith: it is not a teaching of the Apostles, nor can it even be "developed" from any teaching of theirs. Certainly, in today's climate, it would be expedient for the Church, at least in the West, to allow women to be ordained. Yet, against popular opinion, the Church steadfastly refuses to do so, on the grounds that it hasn't "authority" in the matter. Those who say or imply that the Church simply makes up stuff as it goes along would do well to consider this modern parable to the contrary!