Pope Paul VI spelled out a vision of genuine and integral development in 1967.1 Addressing divisionsbetween developed and underdeveloped nations, Pope Paul promoted a demanding concept of integral development in two senses: the whole person andevery person. Development must first engage each person in the work of self-fulfillment.

For all people, authentic development must move “from less human conditions to those which are more human”: from material deprivation, selfishness,and oppressive social structures to possession of necessities, knowledge, culture, respect for others’ dignity, cooperation, a desire for peace, and spiritual values [21].2 Paul stressed development “at the service of humanity” [34], including not just sharing earth's goods, industrialization, and productive work, but also literacy, family life, and pluralism. He urged respect for culture, the arts, intellectual life, and religion.