<![CDATA[This study examines the theology of befriending as a paradigm for pastoral ministry among Catholic university students vulnerable to gadget addiction. Gadget addiction among students is not merely a behavioral issue but an expression of a deeper relational-spiritual crisis: a longing for meaningful presence, acceptance, and connection that finds no adequate outlet in real life. Data were collected through an open-ended online questionnaire completed by 195 Catholic students, predominantly from religious-education and theology programs, and analyzed thematically. Findings show a genuinely mixed picture rather than uniform harm: device use both extends and thins relational and spiritual life depending on how it is used, while roughly a third of respondents recall no meaningful pastoral accompaniment during their struggles. Where accompaniment was present, students consistently described it in relational rather than regulatory terms. An operational model of befriending encompassing chosen presence, unconditional acceptance, transformative listening, and accompanying toward freedom is proposed as a theologically grounded, empirically informed pastoral response warranting further testing. This study concludes that the Church is called to respond to digital vulnerability not through more programs, but by becoming an authentic community of divine friendship where every fragile soul is truly known, accepted, and loved.]]>
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