Valentine's Day: 5 Interesting Facts

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Tuesday, February 14, 2017

1. St. Valentine, the men

A painting of Saint Valentine by 16th century Italian painter Jacopo Bassano. | (Photo: Public Domain)

While commonly thought of as one person, the stories surrounding Saint Valentine were likely based upon the lives of multiple early Christians with the name Valentine.

The Rev. Michael G. Witczak of The Catholic University of America explained in a previous interview with The Christian Post that there "are several St. Valentines."

"One was a bishop, another one was a priest and physician in Rome who was known for sending letters of encouragement to stay faithful," Witczak said.

Speculation regarding the historical Valentine fueled the decision to remove Valentine from the "General Calendar" of the Catholic Church decades ago, he explained.

"St. Valentine was removed from the General Calendar in 1969 when the day was given to Saints Cyril and Methodius, the apostles to the Slavs: St. Cyril died in Rome on Feb. 14," Witczak added.

"However, St. Valentine is still included in the Roman Martyrology (latest edition 2004), and may be included in the calendar of particular churches or dioceses of religious orders."