The Art of Accompaniment Book | Page 11

P R E FA C E I n 2013, Pope Francis wrote the first apostolic exhortation of his pon- tificate, Evangelii Gaudium. In the exhortation, he spoke of a need to move towards a more human Church that looked with compassion on the people of God and made present Christ’s tenderness towards all: In a culture paradoxically suffering from anonymity and at the same time obsessed with the details of other people’s lives, shame- lessly given over to morbid curiosity, the Church must look more closely and sympathetically at others whenever necessary. In our world, ordained ministers and other pastoral workers can make present the fragrance of Christ’s closeness and his personal gaze. The Church will have to initiate everyone – priests, religious and laity – into this “art of accompaniment” which teaches us to re- move our sandals before the sacred ground of the other. (Evangelii Gaudium, 169) This “art of accompaniment” is one of the major gifts of Francis’ pontifi- cate. Pope Francis encourages the Church to make use of the practice of accompaniment in navigating challenging or irregular pastoral situations (Amoris Laetitia, 241) establishing free and guiding relationships between a more experienced person of faith and another who desires growth in ho- liness (Christus Vivit, 242-247), gaining strength from the witness of the saints who inspire the people of God to continue on in the challenging Christian journey (Gaudete et Exsultate, 3), and taking up the Church’s mission to evangelize (Evangelii Gaudium, 173). Whether implemented in efforts of evangelization, sacramental preparation, vocational discernment, or spiritual friendship, accompaniment draws the people of God closer to one another and their Creator. Accompaniment not only assists in the shift towards a more human Church, but also moves towards a more divine hu- manity within the Church as the faithful concretely manifests God’s love and mercy by walking with others towards Christ. Because it develops and elaborates upon the apostolate’s theological, practical, and spiritual realities, this resource contributes to the progression 1