Pope Francis addresses a joint meeting of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on September 24, 2015. Rep. Bob Brady, D-Pa., said he took the water glass to the pope's right after the speech and sipped from it with his wife and two staffers. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- A Pennsylvania congressman said he swiped Pope Francis' abandoned glass of water following his address to Congress and sipped it with his wife and staffers.

U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, D-Philadelphia, said he watched as Pope Francis sipped from the water glass three times during his Thursday address to a joint meeting of Congress and he made his way to the lectern to take the cup once the pontiff finished his remarks and left the water behind.


"The congressman is a Catholic and has immense respect for the Holy Father," Brady's chief of staff, Stan White, told ABC News.

Brady told the Philadelphia Daily News he took the glass back to his office, where he sipped from it with his wife, Debra, and two staffers.

"How many people do you know that drank out of the same glass as the pope?" Brady asked.

The representative said he invited U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., into his office, and Casey brought his wife and mother to dip their fingers in the glass.

Brady said he poured the rest of the water in a bottle and he plans to use it to bless his four grandchildren.

Brady said he is keeping the glass in a paper bag so he can have police fingerprint it and confirm its authenticity.

"They're pretty busy right now," he said.