As Nigeria joins the world to mark the 2022 Valentine’s day, a Cleric, Rev. Fr. Valentine Egbuonu, has advised youths to abstain from premarital sex.
Egbuonu, gave the advice in an interview on Monday in Jos.
The cleric advised young people to seek true love and selflessness in marriage, insisting that premarital sex injures true love.
The Catholic priest also called on couples to be faithful to their marital vows and always stand up for their partners, particularly in the most challenging times in their marriage.
“If Valentine were here today, I believe he will admonish couples to stand by each other through the turbulence of marital hiccups.
“To sacrifice the need of one so as to satisfy the need of the other, and to remain faithful to their marital vocation till death.
“To the young, I believe St Valentine will chastise us to seek true love in selflessness and in married life and not in premarital sex which injures what true love is.
“To the children, he will simply say, don’t be stingy but share your candy with the needy.
“He will say to all priests and religious leaders, believe and practice what you teach, and remain faithful till the end,” he said.
According to Egbuonu, Valentine is regarded as the patron saint of lovers because of what he did during his lifetime to entrench true love in the society.
The reverend Father urged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of love and be ready to die for what they believed.
He further urged Nigerians to be selfless up to the point of seeking the well-being of others at all times.
St Valentine, who was Roman Priest and secretly wedded young people in the church, was later arrested for mutiny.
On Feb. 14, 269AD, Valentine was sentenced to a three part execution of beating, stoning, and decapitation for encouraging young people to marry in spite of an edict banning it.
