Chicago archbishop slips on holy water, hurts hip
CHICAGO — The archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George, was hospitalized with a slight hip fracture Saturday morning after he apparently slipped and fell inside a church while blessing Easter baskets, archdiocese officials said.
George, 70, was at St. Ferdinand Roman Catholic Church to bless baskets of food for Easter meals when he slipped on some holy water that had splashed onto the marble floor, said Colleen Dolan, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese.
The cardinal appeared to land squarely on his hips in a seated position, and he grimaced in pain.
But he continued the service, receiving applause after being helped back to the altar.
After the service, he had trouble walking, so an aide took him to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.
Though the injury was not serious and did not require surgery, Dolan said, George is to remain hospitalized for a few days of physical therapy and is using a walker so as not to apply pressure to the hip.
“He took a fall . . . in his exuberance with the holy water,” Dolan said.