Catholic priest claims Jesus died with an erection, gets a rise out of congregation during Easter

That’s not what they meant by He is Risen

A Catholic priest is lucky to have his job after bizarrely telling his congregation in the UK that the son of God died with an erection.

Father Thomas McHale, an American, was subject to an investigation after delivering the stiff sermon over Easter weekend to roughly 100 shocked parishioners at Our Blessed Lady Immaculate in County Durham, The Times reported.

“He told people Jesus died with an erection,” a churchgoer told the outlet.

“The church was shocked. There were young families there.”

The reverend, 53, said Jesus would have died with an erection due to the violent execution method that killed him — blood would have rushed to his lower body as he hung on the crucifix, he allegedly claimed.

Post-mortem erections are common in corpses of men who have died from hanging or other forms of suffocation — as with crucifixion — according to some studies.

And while it is a mystery whether Jesus experienced the same human response, the diocese of Hexham & Newcastle ruled the speculation was inappropriate for Easter services.

“A complaint was received and has been investigated in keeping with our diocesan complaints policy. The investigation has been very recently completed and the complaint is upheld,” a spokesperson for the diocese told The Post in an email.

“Father McHale has accepted that his words were inappropriate and has apologised. He remains in post as parish priest.”