Catholic irony

Ending up in the hospital certainly wasn't what Cardinal Francis George of the Archdiocese of Chicago had in mind when he decided he would bless Easter meals with holy water.

George, 70, was hospitalized after he slipped on a patch of marble floor that had been splashed with holy water and fractured his hip Saturday. From the Chicago Tribune:

He did not lose consciousness and even continued with the blessing. But shortly after the service, the pain in his right hip grew more severe and he was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood in a private car.

Though the injury was not serious and did not require surgery, spokeswoman Colleen Dolan said George would remain hospitalized for a few days of physical therapy and using a walker, to not apply pressure to his hip.

"He took a fall . . . in his exuberance with the holy water," Dolan said. "He was concerned when it started to hurt more. That is why he wanted to check, and we're glad he did."