Religion Marquez thinks that the people of the community are hypocrites in religion because of the strong adherence in some areas and great leniency in others. The reader can tell this by the actions of the townspeople and clergy. Evidence: "It was a fleeting illusion: the bishop began to make the sign of the cross in the air opposite the crowd on the pier, and he kept on doing it mechanically afterwards, without malice or …showed first 75 words of 740 total…

…showed last 75 words of 740 total…their way to prevent this murder from occurring. Father Amador could have easily talked to the Vicario brothers and changed their minds, but instead he chose not to accept that the murder would actually take place. It also shows that the Father was taking the vestments to the church only to make the mass happy. It somewhat shows how the church was there to make the people happy, more of content than of spiritually sound.