The phenomenon of a woman in the interpretation of the Roman Catholic сhurch in conditions of civilizational challenges of modernity is sequentially and integrally considered in the dissertation research. In the dissertation research there revealed the problem of interrelations of Catholicism with society. I should emphasize, that a woman became an object of mutual accusations and ideological antagonism between moderate Catholic doctrine and the views of the part of society which supports radical feminist ideas. Categorically inclined emancipated groups of the society think that the Church does not let a woman fully disclose her potential, discriminates a woman and humbles her human dignity. Sacramental taboo, prohibition for women to receive chaplaincy, problems of feminine corporality and sexuality which were often homologated by the Church with depravity etc., are put forward as arguments. On this stage the Roman-Catholic сhurch raises an especially topical issue of the human corporality and sexual identity. Thus, a human body is known in the modern mass culture to gradually lose its intimacy and secretiveness. To some extent such processes benumb the long-present understanding of a human as an individual and unique creature, shifting attention to the cult of corporal and physical, at the same time neutralizing and devaluating existential feelings, individualized demonstrations of the human essence. The integrity of the Church to such viewpoint is caused also by the fact that a woman herself rather often gives hostage to such an indifferent approach. It is proved that a woman is considered in the Roman Catholic сhurch interpretation as a full and competent personality with some peculiar biological and psychological differences which form her original specificity, unique and independent individuality. There are provided the main ways of a woman's self-actualization in the context of the Roman Catholic сhurch doctrine: marriage and family relations and maidenhood and spiritual ideological perfection. The attention is drawn to the fact that the crisis of the modern matrimonial mutual relations extremely negatively influences the full implementation of a woman's natural and biological functions and causes the creation of the "childfree" phenomenon - the conscious unwillingness to have children which is extremely negatively perceived in Catholicism. The phenomenon of maidenhood is analyzed which is one of the woman's self-actualization forms and which enriches the woman's spiritual world, implements her peculiar inner potential to commit herself to God and to devotion to people, as well as expands her social functions. It is proved that a woman is recognized in the context of the Roman Catholic сhurch doctrine as an active doer and bearer of social functions. The process of evangelization of not only members of family, but also general public is to the full extent laid on a woman. A woman also bears responsibility in the social sphere which will provide the social life with more organized nature, humanity, prudence, adequacy due to the aggregate of its specifically feminine features. I will add that Catholicism rests its main aim of informing people about the fundamentals of holy love on a woman as a mother, a wife, a laywoman. The process of mutual interaction of feminist reflections of modernity and Catholic doctrine is analyzed which envisages a future dialogic area of mutual relations. The immediate significance of a woman in the bioethical views of Catholicism is determined. The key question of abortion, reproductive technologies and surrogate motherhood largely depends on the woman's choice and convictions. The accent to respect and rise of the feminine dignity is emphasized as the main feature of the modern Roman-Catholic сhurch doctrine. Opposing its viewpoint to the social viewpoint of general permissiveness and to the cult of hedonistic sensuality which turns a person into a thing, the Church emphasizes that first of all a woman suffers from this. Such defects of civilization as prostitution, violence, debauchery, dissoluteness, trade in people, use of contraceptives and practice of abortions which become more strained in the modern world, mainly humble the feminine dignity. Key words: the phenomenon of a woman, the Roman Catholic сhurch, femininity, masculinity, the crisis of civilization, maidenhood, the woman's social self-actualization, Catholic feminist spirituality, Catholic personalistic bioethics.
