by the process of authentic and integral liberation, development is emptied of its true content, and any efforts to realize a social order corresponding to the dignity of individuals and peoples is destined, according to Pope John Paul, to frustration. Pope John Paul concludes the encyclical with a formal account of the nature and aim of authentic liberation. He writes:

The aspiration to freedom from all forms of slavery affecting the individual and society is something noble and legitimate. This in fact is the purpose of development, or rather liberation and development, taking into account the intimate connection between the two .... The principal obstacle to be overcome on the way to authentic liberation is sin and the structures produced by sin as it multiplies and spreads. The freedom with which Christ has set us free encourages us to become the servants of all. Thus the process of development and liberation takes concrete shape in the exercise of solidarity, that is to say, in the love and service of neighbor, especially of the poorest:"For where truth and love are missing, the process of liberation results in the death of a freedom which will have lost all support."57

The unity of the twofold process of integral development and integral liberation is rooted in the mission of the Church. Moreover, the process of integral liberation addresses the obstacles to development in the freedom of truth and love. In Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, John Paul II gestures toward a configuration of Catholic social teaching in which the unity of love and truth is shown as the principle and purpose of Christian work in the process of liberation. For Christians, according to Pope John Paul, the purpose of liberation is the freedom to proclaim the truth of Christ and apply that truth in the love and service of our neighbor, especially the poor. As such, for Christians, the process of integral liberation is the necessary condition for any work in the area of human development. Authentic and true liberation, where the obstacles that stand in the way of authentic development are overcome, is the precondition and essential requirement of authentic development.

Reflecting upon the largely negative picture (in his time) of the distinctively Christian vision of freedom and liberation, Pope John Paul reaffirms the prominent place of liberation in the evangelistic horizon of Catholic social teaching on development, human advancement, and authentic fraternity during the time of the world. He writes:

In the context of the sad experiences of recent years and of the mainly negative picture of the present moment, the Church must strongly57 SRS, §46.

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Liberation, Development, and Human Advancement: Catholic Social Doctrine in Caritas in Veritate

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