G.K. Chesterton the writer of Father Brown is supposedly writing about religious topics. It seems there is more immoral things in this series and I don't know if they were included in his stories.
This is the story of a woman killed near a rock where blood is shed and the person who is "sacrificed" is supposed to be pure. Their death is too grant wishes of the person or peoples doing it.
This episode is like something in the Bible when people disobeyed God, killed their children and sacrificed them to an idol for whatever reason.
The town is overtaken by polio and many people are dieing or sick. A group of people form a cult around the "Standing Stone" taking lives thinking this will stop the polio. The person they kill is supposed to be a innocent or pure person. The people that are doing the killing are drunks, and others that are not "pure".
This is like a heathen episode. Father Brown sees this happening and offers himself in place of the man that they are about to kill.
Father Brown gives some good preaching but not enough to enlighten people because supposedly he knows the Bible and the sacrifice Jesus made for us all.
Jesus shed his blood, died on the Cross so that people's sins are forgiven for those who believe in him. Brown makes all these episodes look as if confessing sins to him, a Catholic priest will save their soul. This is far from the truth. A person has to go to God not some person. A person listening to peoples sins cannot forgive sin. They could only hear it. He also makes it clear in episodes that a priest cannot divulge a confession. So to me this is like saying tell me all the bad things you did and don't worry about. I realize Brown wants to bring people to God but him just concentrating on confession is not what brings salvation to a soul. He does get people to go to the police on their own, most of the time.
I wish the series would also talk about earthly judgement for killing others. Writers in general make excuses for bad behavior and Father Brown stands by people because "they confess to God" (and him). "He abused me, he killed my mother etc". Excuses of society even today to justify the killing of another human being.
Including the character of Lady Felicia is also a insult to the series. She is like a rich prostitute who befriends any man and she thinks is handsome and Brown uses her to get into rich influence to meet others and get info to solve crimes.
Father Brown is funny at times. His mannerisms and gestures are probably why I continue to watch this series. I do like the humor in this series. Brown makes Inspector Sullivan mad because of his sleuthing and interference in crimes and what he finds out.
Read the Bible. Confession is not enough. Sacrificing to idols is a sin. God is still in charge and Father Brown cannot change that.