There is no Vampire media or fiction in this universe
Nobody in the cast ever says the V word even when all the very classic vampire tropes show up. They call the old vampire an Angel and praise the miracle it brings when religious nuts like Bev Keane traditionally do the opposite in media.- This is what I thought at first, but in episode 6 there is a brief mention of "those legends" being inspired by people with photosensitivity, which is pretty clearly an allusion to existing vampire stories.
- A major theme of the story is lengths to which people will go to delude themselves in the name of faith. It's entirely possible that many of the people realize what they are becoming, but are in varying levels of denial about it. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Sarah Gunning doesn't bring it up because she's utterly focused on rationalizing what's happening through scientific example and observation, and to her vampires aren't any more real than angels. Also, religious people on a secluded island may not have much access to media about vampires in the first place (especially as there are real-life Christians who view stories about the supernatural as being harmful, un-Christian or even Satanic), so their unfamiliarity with the tropes of vampire fiction is more justifiable.
- The second half of this paragraph has the same effect of my original theory up top. My point was that the islanders didn’t have the same exposure to vampire media that we do.
- There's a big difference between "vampire media doesn't exist at all" and "extremely isolated and traditionally religious population has no desire to engage with vampire media and thus doesn't immediately think of it when something weird happens."
- Salem's lot can be seen on Riley's bookshelf in the background of episode one.
- Plus a poster of X-Files star Dana Scully in Riley's room, which had an episode about vampires and various vampire-like monsters.
- Alternatively, the old vampire is capable of some form of hypnosis or mind control (an ability that some myths and stories portray vampires as having), which makes it harder for the characters to make the connection between the strange events they're seeing and what they know about vampires. If it had this ability, it might also explain why the congregation doesn't notice that their communion wine has been mixed with blood, as the vampire is able to influence their perceptions just enough for these details to not cross their mind.
The show takes place in 2020
Bev mentions in the first episode that it's the 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time, which means it's either 7 Sundays after January 6th or 31 Sundays before Christmas. Because Ash Wednesday is strongly implied to only have been 3 days later, this means it must take place in a year when Ash Wednesday was between February 21st and February 27th. 2020 is the most recent year when this was the case. This is contradicted slightly by the use of Psalm 27 at the end of the second episode, which is in the lectionary for the 2nd Sunday of Lent, but only for year C (years which are divisible by 3). We also know it takes place after 2011, because the new translation of the mass exists, so the earliest it could take place if you assume Psalm 27 was the correct reading is 2031. Although given Fr. Paul was purposefully wrong with the gold chasuble, it's just as likely (if not more likely) that the show takes place in 2020, and that was just another purposeful decision. Monsignor Pruitt's dementia wasn't cured
His body was rejuvenated but not his mind. That's why he still seems a little off, with a strange cadence to his speech and abnormal reactions to other people. That's also why he fell under the "Angel's" influence to easily; he simply doesn't recognize this monster for what it really is. The Vampire is actually an Angel.
Nobody says that angels have to be beautiful or good people. It is possible that the vampire was really an angel, but it was not the type that Christians envisioned. The wider Catholic Church is an easy shell for Vampirism
The reveal that the Angel is in fact an impossibly old, ''Nosferatu''-style Vampire is covered up by the heavily Catholic sensibilities of Crockett Island and its people. Surely all the crosses, holy water, etc. would have deterred them? Unless... in this world... that's just what they wanted you to think...- More on that: Midnight Mass rarely leaves Crockett Island except in flashback (such as the tale of Monsignor Pruitt's unfortunate pilgrimage). The only meaningful reference to the wider Catholic church is the portrait of Pope Francis in Pruitt's cabin. So... the possibility that this Vampiric outbreak has happened elsewhere, or could happen again]], is not unlikely — and we know for certain that, rather than deterring such an event, the symbols of God and Christianity would actually help it.
Being incinerated by the sunlight as a vampire doesn't hurt
At least not when they embrace it willingly. None of the vampires (who aren't Bev) seem to react to be incinerated in sunlight by screaming in pain or show agonized body language like you would expect someone being burned alive to. Even when inside the perspective of Riley as the sunlight touches him, he braces for pain but none ever comes, instead being greeted by a compassionate vision of the woman he accidentally killed, symbolic of him being forgiven/forgiving himself for what he did and finding peace. This could metaphorical for the peace they find in accepting their fates allowing them to face death without fear, while Bev's screaming death could be a result of her being unwilling to let go of her "power" and her fear of death. It's possible even Bev's death wasn't physically painful either, simply a result of her sheer terror at her imminent death. Or she could be going to Hell. Everyone is de-aging like Mildred and Pruitt did
Erin's baby disappears because it was de-aging inside her body, and since it was so young it didn't have far to go before it disappeared entirely. Erin was de-aging too, as was everyone who drank the angel's blood, but because she's a young adult it was less noticeable. Bev (probably accidentally) poisoned Father Paul
It's never made clear why exactly Paul died (the first time), only that he had been feverish and coughing up blood for a day or two and had collapsed a few times. Pike coughs and vomits blood just before he dies after eating a 1080-poisoned hot dog, and the parishioners do the same when they intentionally poison themselves. Maybe Bev accidentally contaminated food she'd made for Father Paul — or, more sinisterly, she intentionally gave him a small amount of poison with the intent of making him sick so that he'd have to leave and the Monsignor could come back.