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'Ignore my vestment': Person living with HIV gets 'free hugs'

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Gillian Ropero, ABS-CBN News

<div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/ManilaRCY/photos/pcb.1917640111646505/1917627998314383/?type=3&amp;theater" data-width="auto"> </div><p>MANILA - A photo of a priest embracing a person living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has gone viral on social media.</p><p>In a Facebook post, Fr. Alvin Pila of St. John of God Parish in San Rafael, Bulacan said he was hesitant at first to hug the person holding a sign which read &quot;Free Hugs, I&#x27;m HIV+&quot;</p><p>.</p><div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/alvin.pila/posts/10213465019721167" data-width="auto"> </div><p>&quot;I think it&#x27;s Jesus’ way, with the people smiling waiting what will this priest do next? Namimili ako kung i-cross or bless ko ba siya, lay hands? Kawayan lang? Ang nasa isip ko, kung nandito si Jesus yayakap yun so sino ako para hindi sundan si Lord?&quot; Pila told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>&quot;And it happened. I realized that I&#x27;m there hugging a fellow human suffering. Even God, even Jesus embraced our littleness and weaknesses.&quot;</p><p>Pila told persons living with HIV that &quot;we are equal in God’s mercy.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Ignore me and my vestment. It&#x27;s the campaign to break the stigma. The Church loves you. Jesus loves you,&quot; he said in another Facebook post.</p><p>Pila, who has a Radio Veritas program every Friday, also urged the laity to be &quot;channels of God’s mercy and love.&quot;</p><p>&quot;HIV is non-contagious with hugs or handshakes. Let us break the stigma. They are humans like us, with illness but when treated well, they can live normally like us,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Talk to them, console them, love them. We are all children of God, we are his family and family is love.&quot;</p><p>According to Facebook user Geoff Domingo, the Intramuros Grand Marian Procession passed by the Philippine Red Cross Manila Chapter on their World AIDS Day observance last Sunday.</p><p>As of posting, the photo has garnered more than 3,000 reactions and 1,905 shares.</p><p>According to the HIV/AIDS and Art Registry of the Philippines (HARP), there are 59,135 HIV-positive individuals in the country. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/11/18/18/testing-crucial-in-fight-against-hiv">Testing crucial in fight against HIV</a></li></ul>

<p>A priest embracing a person living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has gone viral on social media.</p>

A priest embracing a person living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has gone viral on social media.

'Ignore my vestment': Person living with HIV gets 'free hugs'

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'Ignore my vestment': Person living with HIV gets 'free hugs'

Gillian Ropero,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 05, 2018 07:30 PM PHT

|

Updated Dec 05, 2018 10:30 PM PHT

Read More:

Priest

Catholic Church

HIV

World AIDS Day

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