God has such a sense of humor:
Crowds lined the pews and aisles, the incense and choir voices filled the air, but a distinct voice was missing on Easter Sunday in Chicago's Holy Name Catholic Cathedral. Cardinal Francis George, who has presided over the holiday masses each year since 1997, was home nursing an injury suffered in a fall Saturday.
[snip]
On Saturday, while blessing Easter baskets at a Northwest Side church, the cardinal slipped on holy water that he had sprinkled on the church's marble floor, falling on his hip and fracturing the top of his right femur. [My bold.]
And winning the week’s irony award.
Perhaps he was entertaining impure thoughts about the little girls (and boys!) in their Yeestah finery with their cute little baskets. Sounds like divine retribution to me.
Posted by: emkay | April 10, 2007 at 12:36 PM
If there was ever going to be evidence for the divine, wouldn't a conspicious lack of accidents upon holy days be good evidence? At the very least if there was a supernatural force wathcing out for us and answering prayers, shouldn't we see some evidence for it?
Posted by: Robert | April 10, 2007 at 03:10 PM
In reply to Robert, I imagine that if I were a deity, I'd be sufficiently annoyed by human behavior (conducted in my name) that I would fill every holy days with pranks of this kind.
Posted by: Algernon | April 10, 2007 at 10:44 PM
Hi! I thought you and your readers might be interested in some post-Easter news about Pope Benedict XVI...
The Pope's car is being auctioned off to raise money for Habitat for Humanity:
www.buyacarvideos.com/popecar.htm
The bidding is already more than $200,000! Personally, I think this is a really fun and creative way to raise
money. The auction goes until April 14th if you and your readers want to check it out.
Posted by: BJ | April 10, 2007 at 10:46 PM
Now, priests who let crumbs from the host fall to the ground have a special place of torture in hell. So maybe being careless with holy water and spilling it around brings an immediate punishment:)
Bottled holy water is the answer.
Posted by: hipparchia | April 11, 2007 at 12:27 AM
I am not laughing at the elderly gent's broken hip. But I am laughing at the irony.
Amanda did a funny short thing on this at Pandagon. Worth a glance.
Posted by: Theriomorph | April 11, 2007 at 08:10 AM
I attended 8 years of Catholic school and every once in a while the Monsignor of the affiliate church would show up on the playground in a drunken stupor. One day he showed up and tried to pick a fight with one of my buddies and it came down to one of the nuns having to restrain him. The following winter he was found passed out in the snow right in front of his church in his boxers and that was the last we saw of him. At the time we thought it was the funniest damn thing ever but looking back on it he was just a sad man.
Posted by: Bonzo | April 11, 2007 at 10:34 AM
I hate to be one of those annoying grammar-y people, but the story is not ironic.
BJ's response may be ironic, but I doubt it.
Posted by: Jay | April 11, 2007 at 12:17 PM
Well, it could be ironic in the sense that Pandagon points out, that holy water is believed to have healing and curative power, and in this case is the source of injury.
Posted by: Tom Foss | April 11, 2007 at 12:30 PM
This wouldn't have happed if he practiced the Secret/LOA.
JC
Posted by: | April 11, 2007 at 01:48 PM
Yes, Tom & JC have it: the irony is in the Pandagon point at the link above:
"Tally so far:
People proven to be healed by holy water: 0
People proven to be injured by holy water: 1"
and in gravity's pesky habit of outweighing the law of attraction.
Posted by: Theriomorph | April 11, 2007 at 03:31 PM
Even "holy water" can't stop the law of cause and effect.
That's why I like what the Buddhists say:
"Pay attention!"
Posted by: Todd Goninon | April 12, 2007 at 10:22 PM
Shouldn't we consider this situational irony then?
I like it how if the holy water had been thought to heal him that this would considered be an act of God, where as since the holy water is what injures him then it's just an accident.
Posted by: Combine_Dave | April 19, 2007 at 10:44 PM
What if the priest in question thought the holy water was actually wine and didn't trip, but when spilled (because he was a roaring alcoholic waiting to be charged with child abuse and laundering the parish funds) he threw himself on the floor of the church trying his damndest to lap up what ever was left of the "Chateau Collapso"
Just a thought,
As for me, I"m off to Mass
(In my HOLE!)
Posted by: baby blue | November 26, 2007 at 01:48 PM
Or maybe, just maybe, he was waiting for Doreen Virtue to fly in with one of her servant angels to give him a blow job?
**another thought to ponder**
(which is worse I ask myself as I shake my head in disbelief)
Posted by: baby blue | November 26, 2007 at 01:50 PM
(looking up)
You know, I've seen worse!
Posted by: baby blue | November 26, 2007 at 01:51 PM