98 The Art of Accompaniment
by name, sharing the kerygma, and accompanying them on a jour-
ney of lifelong missionary discipleship in a spiritual family (Synod
Intervention at the XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod
of Bishops, Auditor Jonathan Lewis).
Young people need the support of clergy and lay people who affirm, “We
want to walk with you, ‘hearing [your] expectations, even those that are
unmet, and [your] hopes, even those that are paltry.’” (Final Document of the
Synod of Bishops on Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment, 5)
Rather than be unwilling to answer the enthusiasm of the young or ex-
hausted by the challenges that a new generation raises, Catholic institutions
and networks can be revitalized by their energy, joy, and hope. Young peo-
ple can become protagonists both in the creation of their own opportunities
of community and formation, and in the renewal of the entire universal
Church, as Pope Francis affirms: “Dear young people, my joyful hope is to
see you keep running the race before you, outstripping all those who are
slow or fearful. Keep running, “attracted by the face of Christ, whom we
love so much, whom we adore in the Holy Eucharist and acknowledge in
the flesh of our suffering brothers and sisters. May the Holy Spirit urge you
on as you run this race. The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions,
your faith. We need them! And when you arrive where we have not yet
reached, have the patience to wait for us” (Christus Vivit, 299).
Administrative Distractions
Catholic institutions can become cluttered with excessive administra-
tive work which distracts from service of the people of God.
Many Fathers pointed out that the burden of administrative duties
absorbs the energy of many pastors in an excessive and sometimes
suffocating way; this is one of the reasons why it can be difficult to
encounter and accompany the young. To highlight the priority of
pastoral and spiritual duties, the Synod Fathers insist on the need
to rethink the concrete ways in which the ministry is exercised.
(Final Document of the Synod of Bishops on Young People, Faith and
Vocational Discernment, 17)
Leaders of Catholic institutions must discern what tasks are distracting
from the overall mission of spiritual accompaniment and eliminate those