Manila archdiocese wants blood for Valentine's Day

MANILA, Philippines –  Aside from the traditional chocolates and roses, the Archdiocese of Manila is encouraging people to give blood on Valentine’s Day.

The CBCPNews, the official news service provider of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said the Archdiocese of Manila will hold a bloodletting from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at the 4th floor of the Arzobispado building in Intramuros.

Priests, seminarians and employees of the archdiocese are expected to be among the first batch of blood donors. The archdiocese said the activity is one “concrete and noble example of how we can respond to the call of communicating the love of God to the needy as discussed in the encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (God is Love).”

“Let us continue this beautiful venture that we have started three years ago,” said Fr. Sanny de Claro, the archdiocese’s human resource development department director.

This year’s activity will coincide with the World Day of the Sick and the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

De Claro said they are inviting the faithful to donate blood.

“We invite also your relatives and friends to this very noble undertaking. Be magnanimous Christians, be a blood donor,” he said.