Ivan Pavao II. je tijekom svog dugog pontifikata unutar pojedinih enciklika, govora i poruka pokazao veliko zanimanje i suosjećanje za invaliditet i patnju čovjeka. Tomu svjedoči činjenica da je 3. prosinca 2000. godine proglasio Jubilarni dan osoba s invaliditetom, a prije toga 13. svibnja 1992. godine i Međunarodni dan bolesnika. U svojoj teološkoj i etičkoj misli i pontifikatu pokazao je i apelirao na važnost i poštovanje metafizičke naravi osobe i njezina dostojanstva, bez obzira na životnu situaciju ili mentalnu sposobnost, prije svega kao onu koja je stvorena na sliku Božju, što uključuje i osobe s invaliditetom. Papa Ivan Pavao II. također je pokazao i izrazitu skrb i interes za očuvanje čovjekova dostojanstva unutar društvenih struktura. Svrha je ovog članka ukazati na zauzetost Ivana Pavla II. za osobe s invaliditetom unutar njegova dugogodišnjeg pontifikata te istražiti u čemu je posebnost i originalnost toga pristupa, a u čemu se razlikuje od suvremenog poimanja invaliditeta s obzirom na modele invaliditeta i znanja koja su nam o toj temi dostupna. U tome ćemo se voditi analizom njegovih nagovora, homilija i poruka upućenih osobama s invaliditetom te implicitno selektivnim izborom njegovih enciklika i apostolskih pisama poput Evangelium vitae i Salvifici doloris u kojima poziva na brigu i zauzetost za dostojanstvo drugoga, upućujući na poštovanje cjelovitosti osobe kao i na vrijednosti čovjekova trpljenja. During his long pontificate and as part of his encyclical letters, speeches and messages, Pope John Paul II demonstrated a great interest in and compassion for human disability and the suffering of the man. This is evidenced by the fact that he had established the International Day of the Sick in 1992, followed by the Jubilee Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December 2000. Through his theological and ethical thought and his pontificate, he primarily showed and promoted the importance of and respect for the metaphysical nature of the human person and his/her dignity – irrespective of a persons´ situation in life or his/her mental capacity. According to him, each human being is a person created in the image of God, which includes people with a disability. Therefore, he expressed great concerns for the preservation of human dignity within social and cultural structures. The purpose of this article is to highlight the Pope’s commitment to the notion of disability, as well as people with a disability during his pontificate, and to explore what distinguishes and differs such an approach from the contemporary conceptions of disability in terms of models of disability and the current knowledge on the subject. We are guided by an analysis of his exhortations, homilies and messages addressing his concerns for people with a disability and implicitly briefly look at his encyclicals and apostolic letters such as Evangelium vitae, Salvifici doloris and Redemptor hominis, in which he advocated for the care and respect for the dignity and integrity of each and every person including the value of human suffering.