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1. INTRODUCTION essentially conditions mans life and development, while man, in his turn, perfects and ennobles his environment through his presence, work and contemplation. But human creativeness will yield true and lasting benefits only to the extent to which man respects the laws that govern the vital impulse and natures capacity for regeneration. Both are united, therefore, and share a common temporal future. So man is warned of the necessity of replacing the unchecked advance of material progress, often blind and turbulent, with new-found respect for the biosphere of his global domain, which has become ‘one Earth’, to quote the fine motto of the Conference.” The modern concept of development is critically examined in Pope John Paul IPs encyclical Redemptor Hominis (1979), which questions its implications for human dignity and the created world. This theme is further explored in Laborem Exercens (1981), which addresses the impact of development on human work and the environment, and in Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1987), which evaluates development in light of Christian anthropology, emphasizing its compatibility with the goals of authentic human life and stewardship of creation. Yet it was the Creator’s will that man should communicate with nature as an intelligent and noble “master” and “guardian”, and not as a heedless “exploiter” and “destroyer”. The development of contemporary civilization, marked by the ascendancy of technology, demands a proportional development of morals and ethics. For the present, this last development seems unfortunately to be always left behind. Accordingly, in spite of the marvel of this progress, in which it is difficult not to see also authentic signs of man’s greatness, there are signs that the seeds of this were revealed to us in the pages of the Book of Genesis” Laborem Exercens does not have a direct message concerning environmental responsibility as explicitly as the others, but it implies stewardship through its discussion of work transforming creation responsibly (e.g., §4).°° Written to mark the 20th anniversary of Populorum Progressio, this encyclical explicitly critiques models of development that prioritize economic growth over human dignity and environmental sustainability. It introduces the concept of “authentic development,” which respects both people and creation (e.g., §34). 56 Ibid. "7 Pope John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis,310. 58 Pope John Paul II, Laborem Exercens (encyclical, 14 September 1981), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 73, no. 9 (1981): 577-647, https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/ documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_14091981_laborem-exercens. html. % Pope John Paul IT, Redemptor Hominis, 257-324. 6° Pope John Paul I, Laborem Exercens, 577-647. 4 Pope Paul VI, Populorum Progressio (encyclical, 26 March 1967), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 59 (1967): 257-99, e.g., §34, https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/ hf_p-vi_enc_26031967_populorum.html. 28
