A fictional story but based on a book exploring the surprisingly common multiple stories of clerical impostors in Poland, a phenomenon more prevalent than even the film-makers themselves expected. Most of Corpus Christi was shot in a remote village in the Carpathian foothills, where the crew soon began to feel that locals were a little cagey when the film's topic was broached. It was only when the shoot was over that they discovered that the village had its very own real history of a bogus priest. The impersonator had gotten away with it for two years before being rumbled.
In a couple of dance scenes the film makes a clear reference to the famous Dimitri finds out internet meme.
The protagonist name is Daniel which comes from Hebrew origin dan ("to judge" or "judge") and El ("God"), resulting in the meaning "God is my judge". This reflects on Daniel's journey to be separated from man's judgment (prison) to be in an environment where the only one who knows his secret and could judge him, is god himself.