Ex Catholic Priest Reacts to Midnight Mass | Netflix Commentary | I Am Judas Project #54 

I worked on this. And want to thank you for your thorough dissection. Mike and I are both refugees of Catholicism (Catholic gradeschool, highschool, both altar boys)...and it's incredibly meaningful to hear others relate to the subtleties - and shames - that come from that life. Your perspective (as a former priest) is incredibly illuminating. Thank you for watching. For relating and for sharing your experience.

my blood would boil (pun intended) everytime Bev opened her mouth to twist scripture for her own good. Like Paul literally murdered a man and she's using scripture to justify it. She scared me more than the bloody vampire

My favorite part of Bev Keene is that, just like in real life, she dies without ever understanding that she's the villain. So many stories redeem characters like her, but Mike Flanagan made sure she stayed a self righteous coward to the very end.

The craziest part of this whole spectacular, mind-numbing series is that the word 'vampire' was NEVER used to describe the entity ('angel')

It's not just Catholics who get this. My family are evangelical protestants. My father was a preacher. I watched this and had that feeling too. I felt this show on a really deep level. I could type a whole damn essay on the layers of symbolism, and the way the vampire myth was tied so perfectly into Christian doctrine.

I found the character of Father Paul to be ultimately far scarier than Bev - precisely because he was so likable. Bev was easy to reject, but Paul was the one who started it and led everyone as far as it went. Mike Flanagan has a really interesting way of hiding very deep conversations under a thin veneer of "horror". I look forward to whatever he does next.

I was raised evangelical, and this show really messed with me. Bev pulling up scriptures to justify the atrocities that were going on was something that struck me. A line that really stuck with me was Riley's mother telling Bev that God does not love her any more than anyone else and that it angered Bev that God loved Riley just as much as he loved her. That one hit for me.

Good feedback. As a Muslim, I loved how they portrayed Hassan, and the final scene which was well done (the son on the left is leading the prayer, fajr prayer is done right before sunrise so perfect timing, the father died while prostrating which is the IDEAL Muslim death to draw nearest to God). Juxtaposed perfectly with Bev's terror in facing her own death. As for the whole Catholic bit, since IDK as much about all the rituals, it was neat to learn (like which color clothes--vestiments?--to wear during services). I also read the Bible this last year and noticed a lot of Biblical references, including I believe when Bev told the priest to get behind her (as if he's Satan). Then you have the "I am that I am" from Erin as she sort of shifts to a pan(en)theist, bridging her Christian with a more universal sort of spirituality she got from Riley. The priest was also a nuanced figure, and became much more relatable when you realized he wasn't just high on his priestly status and trying to be miraculous (you mentioned priests trying to be semi-divine and have God work through them all the time which is offputting to me). He acted out of love, and love is one of the highest human experiences and derives from God. So, even though he did some bad, he realized it in the end, and still was willing to be true to love, even if it meant shedding the whole priestly "attire." Granted, I found the parallels between the eucharist, vampirism, and cannibalism all very, very disturbing, and still was uneasy that so many people just embraced the demon "angel" when clearly it looked like an ominous, evil figure. Can't imagine anything holy from feasting literally on the flesh of screaming, terrified people, so it was still a bit odd that those in the end just sang the hymn and all was well o.O I feel like the best Christians were the ones who tried to escape the vampire, including Riley's mom who epitomized the faith (and Erin to a degree, although her faith seemed more nuanced).

I was raised in a pentacostal family and found this haunting as well. Father Paul was so compelling and felt real. I loved that his motivations and cognitive dissonance make sense. He's not "bad." He's flawed and mistaken while trying to be good, and that is frightening on a whole different level. Also, Riley being a skeptical atheist and not portrayed as an asshole who ruins everything made my heart happy.

Spoiler alert As a Muslim I went in watching the show just as a horror story but man it impacted me so much. I cried at the end. Because it seemed so close to home for me. The racism by bev, the idea of few people interpreting religion in a extreme wrong way and the horror of humanity just broke me in tears. Last scene with the two Muslims dying with their own religion just left me in hiccups too which even I don’t know yet why it broke me more then anything else.

It seems very intentional that the church is St. Patrick's, named after the saint of another island filled with snakes, and now associated just as much with heavy drinking. A second watch of the show has so many clever little things like that.

Came here because the show still haunts me emotionally. The final song of them singing by the beach is just the saddest but also the most beautiful thing. As someone who grew up being exposed to zero Christianity (or any institutional religion for that matter) this is legit an eye-opening experience. I can't determine whether the show is pro-Catholic or anti-Catholic because it's so multi-dimensional. In the end, despite all the horror, I think the ending was a resounding affirmation of humanity.

Been dying to talk about this show, but no one will watch it. Grew up Catholic, loved it.

I was raised Catholic in Cuba when Catholicism was somewhat outlawed. That meant that when I was allowed to actually go to church, I had not been thru confirmation and communion. I took the classes but because I was leaving the country, all of my friends ended up finishing them, except me and I sat every time communion came around. That part in the show felt visceral to me, because the rest of the church didn’t know why I was sitting still, why everyone in my family participated in communion and I didn’t. The whole show is so well done, I love that the priest was trying his best to rationalize the trauma he suffered and in the process, hurt everyone in his town. I love Riley and Erin (they could had been the same character in a lot of ways, because they were the compass and grounding rod) I love their death conversation because I’ve had that same conversation before with people I love when grieving. I loved the sheriff and how desperately he tried to both blend in and have a normal life as an unwelcome outsider (I am an immigrant, brown skinned in a very small town) I am not going to say I loved the Bev character because she is absolutely the worst person, but I felt we have always seen people that wield religious rhetoric as a weapon to feel superior. Anyway, this is an amazing show. Worth the rewatch, specially if organized religion has been a part of your life.

i have seen for the first time an English series showing Muslims correctly and authentically. the climax was so good to see his dad and his son died while praying and i teared on it very much because for us Muslims it's most honored death ever. Alhamdulillah

I loved Midnight Mass mainly from a writing/filmmaking POV, especially as a horror dweeb. It was really neat to hear your perspective since the setting of a small, insular, traditional Catholic community felt totally foreign to me (a secular Jew from the large diverse city of Toronto). A lot of the show's themes did resonate really deeply for me, though; trauma, self-destructive guilt/shame, feeling desperate for answers, seeking atonement, etc... Those types of feelings and experiences are universal and completely secular, which IMO is a big part of what makes the writing so impactful for (ex-)Catholics and non (ex-)Catholics alike! Also, I really appreciated how nuanced it was in its approach to religion. Like if Flanagan wasn't such a great writer this could have gone off the rails into annoying "ALL RELIGION BAD!!!" edgy atheist mode, but even though he clearly didn't make this as a glowing endorsement of the Catholic church, there were still examples of faith being a legitimately positive force in some of the characters' lives; Liza's devoutness is what led her forgive Joe Collie, which was a profoundly healing thing for both of them (even though Joe's redemption arc didn't end well for him, poor dude). Hassan said he wasn't all that religious growing up, but he eventually embraced Islam both as a way to honour the memory of his late wife, and to connect with his heritage in the face of all the racist bullshit he was subjected to in NYC. Erin's views on what happens after death seemed like a really healthy, constructive way for a spiritual person to cope with grief. Even the Monsignor was almost more of a tragic hero than a villain, since he genuinely believed that he was doing the right thing and saving the town, even though he ended up royally fucking everything up. Anyways, sorry for the rambling comment lol. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this awesome show - I'm really glad to have found your channel, definitely stoked to watch more of the stuff you've posted about your experiences as an ex-priest!

I absolutely LOVED this show. As a former forced-christian it did a great job highlighting the evil that lurks in churches and "holy people" disguised as good. I adored Erins "what happens when we die" monologue. It was beautiful and touched me on a different level. Hassan and Ali at the end doing their morning prayers was tragically beautiful. It made me so sad that they were innocent victims dragged into the cults psychotic happenings. They deserved better, but its also true to life. How plenty of innocent people fall victim to the church. Great video on your perspective! I havent been to this channel before, but I liked it a lot.

i just finished the show and experienced so much catharsis. i was so angry and sad and emotional to see my mother onscreen and to see my religious abuse shown so graphically. i am an atheist who grew up very evangelical christian fundamentalist. i was taught that my gayness was a sin and would send me to hell and that my gender was strictly "how God made me". I tried to kill myself. i prayed for death nightly. my pastors and youth leaders would assure me always that i was within God's plan and i strived to be whatever they and my mother wanted me to be. I didn't allow myself to feel attraction or emotions other than guilt. and my mother justified all of her frequent abuse with words from scripture. i have been told many times that i am possessed and am told all the more now that i am out of the church, on testosterone, and with the woman of my dreams. my mother and bev keane are cut from the same cloth. and this show has me reeling, but i needed it.

"That scene" in the church where there is all the chaos reminded me so much of the audio recordings of Jim Jones and his People's Temple as they "drank the kool-aid"(spoiler - it was actually Flavor-Aid). If you haven't watched it there are some amazing documentaries out there on the subject, which is by and large forgotten by the public today despite how batshit insane it was at the time. I´m sure the show runners used it as a reference.

I’ve loved watching people react to this series. I grew up in the church but being gay didn’t exactly endear me to many. I was forced into a, what are they calling it now, pray away the gay group. Conversation therapy. I left after 3 guys in the group committed suicide and chose that way out for myself, but realized before the act that I was a fool for trying to be what I wasn’t. I left seminary, came out, and never looked back. Then AIDS crisis hit and religious people were the absolute worst to us. I saw elements of this show play out on a national scale. Similar to what is happening now. Crisis really exposes people. Your reaction was wonderful and insightful. Thank you.

I was raised in a small catholic community, as teen my interest in my mother's jewish roots grew and I decided to stop going to mass and taking communion because I thought it would be disrespectful to keep doing it while I was so confused about religion, man our sunday family dinners got hella awkward after that, I have an aunt just like Bev and she just couldn't stop herself from turning me into the elephant in the room.

I found Father Paul an immensely compelling character. I was very worried at the start that he'd be portrayed as the villain, and was happy it was a lot more complex than that. Like most people he is struggling to make sense of the world around him and what happened. The discussions at the AA meetings were highlights for me. Flanagan is generally very good at creating genuine feeling characters (even if they are awful people). I highly recommend his other work too (Hill House & Bly Manor of course), his films Hush and Ouija: Origin of Evil (Ouija was terrible, but this prequel was actually really good. Especially in comparison). I was not raised religiously, but faith and religion has always had a fascination for me. The idea of a higher being (or higher beings, plural) with expectations and a plan for us? Terrifying, if I'm being honest (Not because I'm a sinner, though that wouldn't help). I never understood how people found the thought comforting. I prefer the nihilistic implications of my skeptical agnosticism, thanks.

very interesting to hear your take on this. I thought Father Paul was one of the best written characters I have seen in a very long time, and I found him absolutely terrifying. I grew up culturally catholic (I am Italian) so I definitely got all the references, but I don't believe this story is specifically about catholicism. it's about the dangers of fundamentalism and of cultish behaviours more than anything. Father Paul was so scary to me because he actually genuinely believed in what he was preaching. A Bev Keane we can all immediately recognise as evil, but someone like him? preaching with such conviction and unknowingly bringing everyone down with him on the path to destruction? absolutely terrifying.

Thank you. As a formerly very religious person, this helped me see a little bit more clearly some of what I was feeling. The pressure to spiritualize EVERYTHING all the time and the way that, even with the best of intentions, this can alienate us from our humanity. It felt like Father Paul really wanted to genuinely befriend Riley, but at every point where he could have been vulnerable and just tried to connect with Riley, it felt like he would make a sharp course correction back to religious language.

This show was absolutely incredible. Former Roman Catholic, most of my family is still practicing. Like you said, loved the nuances of the show that would be missed if you didn’t have that Catholic exposure in life. I found myself singing along with some of the hymns surprised I still remembered the words. Definitely want to dive into this show again, just giving it some months between viewing

really nice commentary / review. This was one of my favorite series of the past decade ❣

It says a lot that the scariest thing in this show is the mean church lady, and not the seven foot tall demonic monster running around.

Thank you for sharing this. I’m still a practicing Catholic (music minister), and I note there’s a lot of former Catholics here. I loved this series, preparing myself to watch it again. Some brilliant monologues, and I love the depth of characters and fragility of all of the characters. I guarantee you some of my staunch Catholic brothers and sisters would find this movie blasphemous, but I’m nowhere near that camp. Thank you for your commentary on this series, I truly enjoyed it

I was raised to be a Christian and our community is a lot like yours by how you broke it down to to T 👏🏿😎

So when young father "Paul" told Riley that God can take your bad actions and turn them into something good, he did. God had a plan... Let me explain; If Riley didn't go to jail and then return to the island to complete his probation, then he would have never been able to let Erin know about the evil plot that was about to take over the island. Also, Erin had an emotionally traumatic childhood, where she remembers the clipping of the birds wings. But later she clips the wings of the "angel" so that it never makes it to the mainland. So both of their pain and suffering was a path to redemption. Gods plan was to bring them to that exact moment in time where they were both in a state of grace. (And this is coming from an atheist)

Theres another great "priest becomes vampire" movie called Thirst from Korea that does a nice job of address similar themes but on a more individualized level than how a community is affected. With so many vampire stories having a level of eroticism, there is more a questioning of purity and repressed sexuality rather than faith.

Im an immense Flanagan fan and this isbone of my faves. The catholic experience is always there with his productions but, as a Catholic raised girly myself, it was CHILLING to see faith going this far

Bruh I’m not even Catholic (I was raised evangelical Christian) and I was singing a long with those hymns…Not even sure why I know them. What I love so much about Midnight Mass is that it comes from a place of such sincerity and understanding. It definitely shows the horrors of overzealous fundamentalism, but also conversely the beauty in piety, or at least the beauty to be found in sincere faith of any kind. It doesn’t squash the truth in humanity’s need for faith in something, and that must have been tough to write. Because the religious horror in this runs so deep and is so spot on, and anyone with religious trauma of any kind has known someone like Bev Keane at some point in their lives. She was the real monster.*shudders*

I absolutely LOVED that show for so many reasons. The performances are off the charts.

First off, I am SOOO glad I stumbled upon your channel...here's why: I discovered Midnight Mass from a fellow filmmaker's recommendation, so unlike you, I went into it looking at things like; the writing, cinematography, acting, etc. What my fellow filmmaker friend did not know about me is; I was born and raised Catholic and even went to Catholic School for 9 years. Catholicism was actually a HUGE part of my upbringing...and I can tell ya (as you already noted in your video); My oh my, Mike Flanagan (the writer & director of the series) NAILED the characters! ANY life-long Catholic knows a Bev, a Joe Colly, a Reilly....ALL of the Characters are super relatable. As of late (over the past 3 years or so), I have essentially lost my faith...and in doing so, I'm super glad I came across your channel, and realizing I wasn't the only one who was so deeply affected by this series.

I was a Christian before reversion to Islam. I can feel what Shariff is going through. This is really an excellent series that I highly recommend. Builds up very slowly fleshing out the key characters properly before/as things starts unraveling.

We had a few bev’s at our parish. Just watching her, her speech, and her mannerism, really irritated me. There’s something about the traditional churches that attract these self righteous people. And like you Francis, I too sang along to the many hymns and the Neil Diamond. Perhaps we would have been served better, had we had Neil Diamond in the choir loft ;)

Mike Flanagan (show creator) is by far my all time favorite horror movie/show creators, I would highly reccomend looking into his other work. "the haunting of hill house" is another incredible horror show on netflix, i would highly reccomend watching, youll definitly be hooked after the first episode

I was raised religious (liberal Protestant), so was very familiar with the Bible which I read twice because I read everything I could get my hands on. When I was 16, I met a girl who asked me out which thrilled me because I was the classic awkward nerd who never got a date. It turns out she was a very far-right Evangelical who thought my fantasy books (like Lord of the Rings) were vessels of evil that Satan used to lure people away from God. My insecurity led me to overlook all of this (and there were many more red flags) because I thought how would I ever find another woman interested in me. That went on for a few years (and with marriage + two kids) before I realized that I definitely wasn't happy and needed to get out. We got divorced. Anyway, while I had drifted into agnosticism, I was very fascinated by religion. I've read a lot of books on the history of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. What interested me was less the dogma than what people did in the name of their faith. I've also read a lot about cults. Again, my interest was more in what sorts of people joined cults and how they rationalized the cult's teachings. One of my favorite things about Midnight Mass (and it's become one of the best things I've watched in the last couple of years) is how respectful it was of Catholicism. It would have been very easy for Mike Flanagan to say, "See how bad religion is!" but he didn't. It wasn't religion that was the problem. It was the people. As I said, I'm agnostic, but I don't look down on people who have faith. I know lots of very good people who believe in a religion. On the other hand, I've met a lot of not-so-good people who are fervent believers. I know very nice atheists and not some not-so-nice atheists. It's rarely the beliefs that are the problem; it's the people.

As a former SSPX member this series was simultaneously so hard to get through but also so hard to turn away from. It was accurate and I could see this happening at my old church. Just like you said, it was unsettling nostalgia.

I grew up with a very religious parent, and a very atheist parent. I consider myself an atheist, but I’m comfortable having conversations about religion, faith and others beliefs. This series had so many important conversations on God and death, and what faith is to everyone, including atheists. I still can’t stop thinking about it. Thanks for your two cents too, I love hearing peoples different perspectives on the show.

I finished watching the series yesterday and I was freaked out like you. I grew up catholic, went to catholic school but I stop practicing when I was 18. I am now 36 and even tho I have not set foot in a catholic church for more than a decade I found myself reciting the prayers along with the show. That scared me more than the monster. They did a fantastic job recreating mass.

I love hearing this perspective on a religious horror series, especially how little mundane things that do happen in normal churches are emphasized just enough to turn it into paranoia, horror, etc. Like the communion thing, you just hit the nail on the head right there.

It would have been so easy for this show to trash and mock and demonize religion, and as a currently practicing Christian, that made me weary. But it blew me away with its ability to distinctly show the difference between good and bad Catholics, righteous and self righteous Christians. At the end of the day, Mike Flanagan managed to give us a show that warned us of the dangers of religious justifications while displaying how good and well intended religion can be when it’s followed as God intended. What a dang masterpiece.

you talked right upfront about how you found yourself singing the Hymm along with everyone there....i loved how they used hymns as an almost juxtpoposition to what was happening...When you listen to a lot of the word and sentiment in hymns there is rarely "doctrine" but instead "longing" almost a longing for understanding...The version of "Were you there" just had me in tears....it was an amazing show, and i cant wait for the next Netflix show he is doing...Fall of the House of Usher

Really appreciate your unique perspective. "Haunting nostalgia" is a perfect description. As an ex-Catholic , I felt the same way. The familiar ceremony and tradition was comforting yet not. And then with the death monologue at the end, juxtaposed with the Catholic view of death and suffering, it fully expressed my current belief about death. I had never considered how well the vampire myth fit with the language of the Mass. The belief that we are truly eating flesh and drinking blood is so disturbing. Flanagan is brilliant!

Thank you for your views on Midnight Mass, very interesting. I finished watching the series a few days ago and it has stayed with me, it is literally haunting me. I was raised a catholic and attended convent schools, and even though now I’m an agnostic, I still can’t shake the belief that Catholicism is the only ‘true’ religion, it shows what indoctrination can do to you. I did find the various concepts of death described in the series fascinating and moving.

This is a show that doesn't need a review as much as it needs an exegesis! The way scripture was not only regularly and explicitly cited but also thematically and symbolically inverted throughout was amazing. Its one of the most complex takes on a Passion Play I think I've ever seen. So many layers that only come through when you've had time to really dwell on it. If you do do a second rewatch, I'd be very interested to see you do a spoiler full video where you go in depth on it all.

yeah as someone who grew up in a small church in a small community, this series hit home. i didn’t even grow up catholic, but the characters and some of the short sermons literally give me déjà vu. i have been so stuck on this show for it’s accuracy, it’s so good.

Oh hey, the algorithm did something useful again. This is a really cool perspective to hear. Midnight Mass was a hell of a trip for me, and definitely what solidified me as a Mike Flanagan fan. I was raised catholic but had the fortune(?) of finding myself in a primarily moderate parish so I didn't have to deal directly with these kind of people frequently but I certainly KNEW all these people. My kind and understanding mother has consistently had at least one Bev as a close friend, so her cruelty and ego were viscerally familiar to me.

Seeing the little nuances of this show as a Catholic really got me! The first time we see Fr Paul wearing gold instead of green (I had mentioned that and was happy I had clearly paid attention at mass to recognize it) and the little gestures and how to hold the Eucharist and the homilies. The mass itself was spot on. Bev drove me up a wall. Those holier than thou personalities who are clearly worst than anyone else in that church besides maybe Paul but even then he had good intentions to begin with. Bev was just an evil SOB who had the most perfect ending. Trying to run away from death and realizing that she's too late and can't save herself. Riley and his familyy and Leezas family are some of the most relatable families I can relate to growing up. What a show. Hands down some of the best acting. Writing. And cinematography out there. I just finished my 2nd rewatch and it still gives me chills about how incredible this show is.

Bev was a kind of Renfield character to Father Paul. She just put ones teeth on edge. She has such a need to have importance and a place of power on her ant hill island. Father Paul is a devastating character. He's a speaker of great charisma. His very intonation is stunning. There is a certain theater involved in keeping a congregation...'coming back'. It was riveting listening to him. I would have been affected at a certain point in my life. Why, even as I listened now to this actor, I could feel the current. Great job!

I was raised catholic as well, I went to ccd and catholic school for a bit. I stopped being a believer at an early age but I was still obligated to go to church and school because I was still a kid. I remember the condescending sort of pity of people who acted like they were trying to save me and bring me back into the fold. It was so reminiscent of bev learn but even in milder cases, Riley’s parents’ behavior reminded me of my dad. He loved me but he just didn’t get it. That show was amazing

The hymns got me too. Was raised conservative small town Baptist and the songs just brought me right back.

I was raised Catholic and was surprised by all the lyrics I still remembered. I very often sang along and participated in the responses. I never watched the creator's other shows but I really REALLY enjoyed the show and will likely rewatch. I think thete will be some interesting revelations upon a second watch.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and reaction to this fantastic series. I put off watching it for a long time because I thought it would disturb me, and OH BOY was I right! But not about the nature of the disturbance. For context, I grew up in an evangelical church. I drifted away after I went to college and wasn't really any flavor of religion until I met my (now ex) husband. He was Catholic, and I converted before our marriage. And while it was strange to me for a long time, I found some comfort in the rituals. Now I'm back to non-religious. Some congregations have a Monsignor Pruitt/Father Paul, but every congregation I've ever seen has a Bev. I had more sympathy for the priest, though, because **SPOILERS** Before he met the "angel," he was suffering from dementia. And he was right about the Bible saying that every human visited by angels was afraid - some of the biblical descriptions of angels are terrifying. Also, it took some time before the "communion" worked on him. While his body became young, I think he still carried that dementia-addled interpretation of what the creature actually was. And even when it became clear that he had given in to something evil, he still had hope to temper it, e.g. the meeting with Riley and keeping the doors of the church locked until he could explain to the congregation what had happened to them. BUT he corrupted his faith, the ideals of communion, and led his flock down the same path. Bev was already corrupt and merely found the perfect outlet for her bile. This Flanagan series is second only to The Fall of the House of Usher in my opinion. And Usher only barely edges out MM because of how much I love Poe. MM is masterfully told and full of some truly moving and powerful scenes (the scene with Leeza and Joe Collie, for example).

I was raised United Methodist. I kept screaming at Bev and Father Paul the most. It was so frustrating watching most in the town fall in line.

i loved the series, it was a little slow at first to me but i stuck with it and i'm glad i did. it for sure got trippy

this was such a great watch - thank you! Your perspective as a former priest is an amazing thing to share that really helps show this series (one of my favourites) in a new light. I grew up protestant evangelical and while the details are different the culture is the same in so many ways - shame , pious devotees , whispers in the community, and blindness to reality at all costs. Thanks for sharing!

My great uncle was a Monsignor in the Catholic Church. I grew up with my catholic dad and Jewish mom, so I wasn’t baptized but “dedicated” to god as a compromise. I very occasionally was forced into attending mass, and at one of my uncles mass’s, I remember him asking me before hand to take communion for him. I asked him why, as I thought i wasn’t supposed to without a confirmation. He said because he said it was okay, it was. That god wanted me to. As he, of course, spoke for Him. It was the only time in my life I’ve taken communion. But I always got strange looks during every time I didn’t. I didn’t really understand but always felt so uncomfortable, but somehow felt even more so when my uncle had me take it. Your video finally made me understand why he had me do so. My uncle asked constantly for me to baptized up until he couldn’t remember who we were anymore. But he was too embarrassed for his great niece to not take it in front of his whole congregation.

I am an Anglican ( Church of England) and also a former altar boy and used to help our priest administer communion throughout the village I used to live in. But for I've been struggling with my faith, belief, whatever for the past thirty years or so. This series hit me so hard and brought back so many memories. Your thoughts on this video were very moving to me. Thank you.

Recently I went to a funeral to say goodbye to my friend. His service quickly became a recruitment drive for his family's church. He wasn't very active, but he was big on making them happy. At one point the preacher delivering the eulogy(that started out "I never met brother "), said "Stand up if you stand up for Jesus!".... As an Athiest, I stayed seated. People started giving me prayer books and cards, and after I was witnessed. I know they meant well and I was polite, but I just wanted to say goodbye to my friend.

I went to Catholic preschool through high school and I left Catholicism when I was 21. My parents were so deeply hurt. Even now my parents are still trying to convert me back to Catholicism.

This show was just beautiful. I’m not a Catholic (I’m a Pagan), but the show is so well written, acted, and directed that I wasn’t confused about the Catholic content at all. I AM from a very small insular community, so all that read as true as well. The show seems to have done just what Flanagan hoped - it’s starting conversations. I liked hearing your perspective and the perspective of so many others. I actually wished I knew the words to the hymns so I could sing along, and I found Father Paul’s sermons completely engrossing. I was bawling by the end of the show. Probably my favorite of Flanagan’s works.

As an ex-Catholic (now atheist) who has family in a very progressive congregation and whose father went through the seminary during a really revolutionary time (I grew up learning about primacy of conscience) this show tapped into some really visceral things for me. My parents current church isn’t the church I grew up in. The woman who led my confirmation group was a Bev. I knew I was gay from an early age and my archdiocesan youth group leader told me love the sinner and hate the sin when I asked him about the church’s stance. Midnight Mass shows that faith can move people to acts of amazing humanity and grotesque horror, and in it the latter is more common than the former (a thing which to me appears to be more true than its mirror). Anyway, thank you for this video. I’m glad I found your channel.

I grew up Protestant in a tiny community with a lot of churches but only one Catholic Church. Everyone who went to the Catholic Church were known as the Catholic kids at school. They were a mood. It’s kind of helpful to understand a bit more of their perspective. There can be shaming in Protestant churches, but you actually do tend to have much more privacy. You can make public declarations of faith, but the absence of them does not mean anything. Skipping communion is almost totally unnoticeable and is a totally private affair-it might not even mean you sinned. It could just mean you aren’t in a good frame of mind. That public sign post is so much pressure.

I am absolutely floored by your perspective and absolutely fascinated. I absolutely loved this series and greatly appreciate your breakdown. Absolutely fascinating

I just drew the obvious parallel in my mind of the church being named for St Patrick. I’m sure I’ll have to watch again to get it all. Great series

Just happened upon this video, and you!! Adored this series- so authentically frightening, and relatable. I grew up Roman Catholic. Loved hearing your reaction to it. Gonna keep my eye on your channel for sure :’)

Thank you for this video. I absolutely adored this series and was actively searching for a Catholic priest's insights on it since I've watched it. I can imagine that for someone brought up Catholic the series must has been incredibly unsettling, even triggering. That said, as an atheist who wasn't even brought up as Christian at all, I felt like the general knowledge I have about Catholicism just as a reasonably educated and curious person was enough to get a pretty deep understanding and appreciation for the story and themes on an intellectual level. I think it was an extremely powerful story with relevace to people of all religions as well as none.

Found you through my love of the Flanagan clan and Midnight Mass. As a former Catholic myself, I loved this so much! Your perspective is so so needed for many of these amazing films that tackle the various ways that religion can influence our collective cultures. Thank you!!

The dialogue and deep existential questions were outstanding in MM. As someone who questioned and sought logical, straight forward answers as a child, realising that a lot of Father Paul's answers to Riley were really just word salad. It sounded intricate and deep, but rarely meant anything. That helped adult me heal from seeking answers from people who cannot provide them.

I was glad to hear your comments. They helped give a better understanding of some of the relationships and interactions.

I'm sorry for whatever negative experience you have had with the Catholic Church, Christians, or religious and I pray that through the saving graces you received at your baptism, you might find Peace and Truth.

Start to finish this show was absolutely hauntingly beautiful. Grew up catholic, went to catholic school. It nailed it

Love your hair...and great perspective as well...❤❤❤

Thank you. As a life-long atheist, from a culture that's protestant if anything, there were many things that went over my head. Very interesting, and thought through.

I think what you said about judging those who don’t go to communion might be true in a Traditional Catholic community, or a very small parish, but in my (large, suburban) parish, no one is paying attention to who does or doesn’t receive. There are always visitors (non-Catholics) at mass, so it’s normal to have lots of people “sit back.” We’re just so glad to have people in the pews! 😊

I as an ex evangelical who went to a Catholic school understand. It's not only the Catholics that are considered extreme as religious groups and particularly vulnerable to extremist movements. Our school actually tried to be open-minded so they weren't even my exposure to fundamentalism, but unfortunately didn't help to deprogram me from it either, I needed life experience from university in a completely different and not homogeneous town for that.

I was told that I could not join in communion because I was Lutheran when I went to a Catholic school in my formative years. Looking back on it, even as a small child, exclusively in the church and status was prominent in my religious experiences. It definitely explains my, let's say, discomforts with catholicism and religion in general.

I know I'm two years late to this video, but I thought Midnight Mass was great and remember it vividly. One thing that stuck me when watching it was the use of the song Ye Sons and Daughters, I think in the episode where Father Paul rose from the dead. I sing in a church choir, so my first reaction was, "You can't sing that before Easter! 'Alleluia' is right out from Ash Wednesday until Easter!" (I think that episode was Good Friday). But of course the music was drawing the parallel between the way the community reacted to Father Paul's resurrection and the days following Jesus' resurrection. I don't know if part of the point was also to point out that just as this modern-day "miracle" was being misunderstood by the community and seeming to begin to spawn a rather horrifying offshoot of Catholicism, so might Jesus' disciples and the community of that time misunderstood and misinterpreted Jesus' resurrection and put their own misguided direction on the early church. But the use of the song definitely pushed my thoughts in that direction. Ye sons and daughters, let us sing! The King of heav’n, the glorious King, O’er death today rose triumphing. Alleluia! Alleluia! and (skipping a bunch of verses) That night the apostles met in fear; Amidst them came their Lord most dear, And said, “My peace be on all here.” Alleluia! Alleluia!

I found your commentary really really interesting. I was brought up muslim but no longer consider myself religious so it's really fascinating to hear your view on this show as it kind of gives me an insight into the catholic perspective of this show. I watched Midnight Mass just because my housemate was watching it and I did not expect to love it as much as I did. As you said the cinematography is amazing and the slowburn and horror of the story is really well built up but I was most impressed by the muslim representation. Having been brought up in a muslim household and around a very muslim community and lots of muslim family and friends I am very much aware of islamophobia. I haven't experienced too much personally (my name isn't too noticeably arabic, and I pass as white) but I know a lot of people who have, to varying levels of extremity. I am also very aware whenever I watch any media with a muslim character how often they fall into the tropes of terrorist or subservient oppressed wife etc. So the character of Sheriff Hassan was really refreshing for me, as well as how they accurately presented muslim prayer etc. His monologue to Sarah about islamophobia really struck me and made me so happy and relieved to hear the experiences of so many people I know put into words in a medium where they are usually reduced to stereotypes. Anyways sorry for rambling it was just interesting to hear how other people relate to this show from completely different backgrounds and I wanted to share my perspective of how this show affected me as well. Thank you for posting!

"Thank God (?)" I found your react video. Just finished this over the weekend, and man it is absolutely beautiful as a series and full of profound ideas. I'm ex Catholic, I wouldn't say my upbringing was strict religion-wise but I can relate with a lot of the themes. I've gone through most of the critics' and RU-vidrs' review vids, and I'm now looking for react vids from non-critics/general public and how this affected them especially from a religious perspective. Lucky to have found yours, thank you for the excellent analysis!

As an ex Jehovahs Witness I found this series to be so much scarier. JW's are far more cult like than even the Catholics. Episode 6 was the most frightening thing I've ever seen, due to my religious upbringing.

why don’t you have millions of subscribers, your channel is gold

I was raised Catholic, and this series was a trenchant and well-deserved critique of Catholic dogma. To be honest I started the show with no idea that it was horror, I thought it was a murder in a small town thing. If anyone had said anything about horror to me I wouldn’t have watched it, I find most horror series sort of boring. I am soooo glad I watched this show. I believe it’s one of the best shows on Netflix - the story, the writing, and the acting were all top notch. I also talked to everyone I know about it, and the conversations engendered by it are so interesting. The original ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker had many allusions to Catholicism, and ‘Midnight Mass’ is true to the same themes. At the heart of Catholicism is the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. And while many Catholics think that the drinking of the wine and eating the Eucharist is meant to be metaphorical, but official Catholic dogma explicitly states that during Catholic Mass the ‘Miracle of Transubstantiation’ takes place, turning the bread and wine into the literal body and blood of Christ. So the actual intent is eternal life through ingestion and absorption of the attributes of the one whose flesh is eaten. ‘Midnight Mass’ shows this brilliantly.

I'm a Catholic and it's sad to say there are real Bev Keene I have encountered in my life and I was really young when I started noticing these things. As I slowly grew up I made sure to stay as far away from them as possible. These kind of people really is a turn off for Catholic. When I was younger, I have experienced praying at 3:00pm and 6:00pm daily with my family. I miss doing these because I still remember I feel at peace - I can't really explain it. I can't fault people for my religion is not perfect because of the different understanding and interpretation of each individual. I may not be a devout Catholic but I will never change my religion for my prayers and my faith have saved me numerous times I would even consider it a miracle. Anyways I miss going to mass because of COVID. 🙏 Thank you for your review I didn't mean to rant but just like you the show resonated with me because the set up of the church and the community is so spot on. Oh, and I love horror films.

I love EP 3. That focused on Monsignor Pruitt the most and he's the best, most complex character in that story. There's almost no villain in the story; even the vampire wasn't that menacing compared to the normal, very predictable religious zealots like Bev Keane. That's the genius of the story. All the human frailties and the results of their decisions and remorse afterwards when it doesn't go according to plan were so believable. Awesome execution.

As someone who grew up quite religious, I now do not go to church, but I do still pray regularly. However, I loved this show , and definitely knew some Bev's , and knew people like a few other characters, too. Icansee why I distanced myself and practice my faith as I see fit.

Hey - Raised a catholic and turned my back when I was fifteen and came out as gay. I was an alter server and remember people in my "community" saying I would "grow out of the sin" and that if I went to confession I would be "saved". Nah. I'm happy with whom I am - Most of the time!

So, I’m very late to seeing this because, ahem, I think well your content isn’t typical content for me and because I’m unlike probably majority of viewers, a current practicing Catholic who lives IN a fairly small community, Anchorage, Alaska. But I am so glad I found your review specifically. I truly enjoyed this show. It wasn’t haunting for me, and probably because of all of the many reasons you list. It almost felt like “home” watching it. Small churches, everyone knowing one another, I found myself singing the hymns as well with a smile on face even lol (as morbid as that may sound in this context), my previous parish, as we moved at the end of last year across town even IS St. Patrick’s. But, I’m especially glad I found your video review because I enjoyed it so much and because since I’m fairly devout, and so are the people I surround myself with are as well usually, they don’t tend to watch “horror” and nor do I. This show wasn’t horror for me until the end episodes, it was more interesting and nuanced all the way through and I’ve been dying to talk to or hear someone else’s thoughts on it lol. Unfortunately, as you also talk about in this review, it’s the silent albeit somewhat well meaning generally judging of others that prevented me from speaking openly with others (aside from my husband) about it. People like Bev, exist and while they may not be who I spend my “free time” with, they often work themselves into integral pillars of Church society, and while I haven’t met a person I’ve actually disagreed with to a meaningful extent within the church thus far (at my Parishes), I certainly don’t want to attract that kind of attention and audience lol. So thanks for your video! 😊

I think regardless of what religion you were raised in, if you were raised within one at all, this show will resonate.

Hello Francis. I've been considering my comment for a while, but I find that I just can't plan it out. So I'm going to wing it. Like you, I'm a a Catholic survivor. And you covered so much of that so well. It took me a long time to watch Midnight Mass simply because it's so good. Too good, in a lot of ways - of course, that's why it's horror. The only part of the show I'll point out here is the Neil Diamond song. One of the few pieces of music that wasn't a Catholic hymn. I've watched that scene so many times. Then I went to listen to the song - I'm of an age where I remember when it was on the radio, but it took Midnight Mass to make me remember how much I loved Holly Holy. I bring this up because of the nostalgia factor. How happy they were when it played. The look of beatific joy, the inclusion, the love. There's a lot of powerful moments in Midnight Mass, but this is the one that lingers longest for me. I haven't been to church, with the exception of my father-in-law's funeral, for decades. It's the right choice and I stand by it. But before that, I wanted to be a nun. I already had the order picked out, my path was clear, the sisters knew - I was there. Then I saw something that changed my life. I walked away. But there are times when I miss it on nearly an instinctive level, and that came roaring back when I saw the Holly Holy scene. It reminded me how insidious it all is, how much I truly want to believe. I want to go home. I want to, but I can't. Anyway, I thought you'd understand this little ramble. I'm glad you popped up on my feed even if it seems like you're not posting anymore. I really enjoyed your thoughts on this - thank you for sharing them with us.

I was raised in the Catholic Church all the way through college, I was thoroughly brainwashed until I woke up. This movie brought all of these uneasy feelings back to me. It made me see that there is so much we do not know about the church or its secrets. The sinister connections of the Eucharist with blood-drinking and the creature were like blowing my mind. One of the reasons I left the church was because of horrific and archaic rituals. !. GREAT writing. GREAT acting. EYE opening ideas.

This was great. I’m a cradle catholic and felt so much from midnight mass. I have no idea what to cal you lol. I’m happy you are happy.

Proud Catholic. I'm not perfect but God bless you all. Hope you receive the call back to The One True Church

I really like how the Sheriff told his son that God doesn't do transactions to relieve suffering... You don't pray to get your Jeanie wish, & for me that was one of the messages from the movie, nothing more I wish than for that wretched degenerate creature to feel the holy light AKA the sun, also nice video, great perspective!!

What I love most about this show is that it has a perspective from every single angle. Different people with their different beliefs is put in there. I relate mostly with Erin. My faith and belief in God is like her. I have my belief, not because of a religious institution, but I may attend church every now and then, and I cant stand overbearing religious nuts. Im very much functioning in my own lane like her. And her monologue at the end about what happens when we die is so spot on for me!

Just finished watching Midnight Mass today. Love the soundtrack, the twist in the story; brilliant. Shows how people can twist things to suit their own ends without thinking of the consequences. Will most likely re-watch in a few months as I tend to do that with films/tv series that make one think.

I am orthodox, and our doctrine seems way less intense, judging by the show, this commentary, and things shared by people here. It was so interesting to observe the empasis on a community when clearly the comaraderie is not natural. Just like in families guilt and "obligation" for everyone to share advice without true understanding of a person's struggle, which was part of the horror for me. I had a teacher on a comparative discipline of mythology and religion and their influence on cinema and stories in general. It was my favorite class, now when I think of it, it resembled mass, because he would share perspectives on connections between traditions and scripture, and show us a movie that we would then discuss. One time, he shared that he was in Seminary as well, and even then was trying to understand God not only by the teachings available to him. He received an invitation to travel to and visit Mecca, and he was literally jumping out of joy all the way to the walls of the city, where he suddenly realized that entering the holy place, would "turn" him Muslim, as it's an act of faith. Another person saw him standing there like a beaten animal and struck a conversation. He heard my teacher's concern and gave him a warm smile, put a hand over his heart, and briefly said, "It only matters what's here." This is something so strong and sincere, that no ritual, tradition, baptism, communion, or story can interfere with a person's authentic connection to spirituality. Probably, this is why I just had my second run of the show, because it shows the same thing - the outside signs of being "holy" (I am looking at you Bev Keane) mean nothing in comparison with inner workings of belief and personal motivation. This film is one of the instances where most people that dream of making movies go "FFS, I WISH I DID THAT" due to the amount of intent, philosophy, preparation, and undeniable genius in the choices made by the authors.