EMBRACING DIVERSITY: EXPLORING AWARENESS AND ACCEPTANCE OF FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS' SAME-SEX BLESSINGS AMONG PARISHIONERS OF SAN NICOLAS DE TOLENTINO PARISH, ARCHDIOCESE OF CEBU

This study explores the awareness and acceptance of the Fiducia Supplicans doctrine, which permits same-sex blessings, among parishioners of San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish in Cebu. The research aims to understand the parishioners’ knowledge and attitudes toward this controversial issue within the Catholic Church. A descriptive-correlational research design was employed, involving 200 respondents selected through purposive sampling. The sample was evenly distributed across four gender categories, ensuring a representative demographic. Data were collected via a self-made questionnaire, demonstrating high reliability, with Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients of .929 for awareness and .964 for acceptance. Statistical analyses, including mean, standard deviation, and linear regression, were conducted using SPSS software. The findings reveal that parishioners generally understand the nature of same-sex blessings under Fiducia Supplicans, particularly recognizing that these blessings do not alter the Church’s doctrine on marriage. Accepting these blessings is rated as acceptable, reflecting a moderate level of endorsement, particularly regarding inclusivity and compassion within the religious community. A significant positive correlation (Spearman’s rho = 0.419, p < 0.01) was found between the levels of awareness and acceptance, indicating that higher awareness is associated with greater acceptance of same-sex blessings. These results suggest that education and information dissemination could be crucial in shaping more accepting attitudes toward such practices within conservative religious communities.