Satire and irony form crucial elements in the narrative of the tale, and one of the notions Márquez satirizes is that of false piousness. Although it is not explicitly stated that the townsfolk are Christians, this idea is strongly suggested through the introduction of characters like the wise neighbor and Father Gonzaga. It is clear that both the neighbor and the cleric are regarded as knowledgeable; yet their knowledge proves ineffectual and false. They may even think of themselves as good Christians or godly people, but their treatment of the old man shows they are far from practicing the Christian values of brotherhood and charity. For instance, the neighbor “who knew everything about life and death” suggests the old man be clubbed to death, as he could be a fallen angel or the devil in disguise. Father Gonzaga, too, cautions the townspeople not to regard the old man as wonderful, as he may be an impostor. Father Gonzaga—and the authorities in Rome—do not judge someone an angel by their virtues, but by superficial standards like knowing Latin and Aramaic.

It is clear that the religiosity of the clerics and the townspeople is different from true ethics and morality. True morality requires treating others with fairness and empathy, a fact the townspeople disregard. The three people in the text who behave ethically are the old man, who is regarded as an oddity and an outsider; a child; and a doctor. In contrast, the custodians of religion behave immorally. Márquez also satirizes the tendency of organized religions to abandon morality for a pedantic, literal application of sacred texts. For example, the Roman authorities debate how many times the old man can fit on the head of a pin, which is a redundant and too-literal interpretation of a medieval argument. Because angels were considered spirits, this argument postulated that innumerable angels could dance on a space as small as the head of a pin. Instead of these meaningless debates, the authorities could focus on having the old man treated humanely, but they do not. The text shows how false religiosity can compromise ethical behavior.

The townspeople’s treatment of the old man contains many other parodies of Christian legends and practices. People superstitiously rush to him for miracles and divest him of feathers in a parody of the practice of hoping a saint’s relics will cure affliction. In doing so, their behavior echoes the cruelty of the Roman soldiers toward Jesus Christ as depicted in the Bible. Just as a soldier speared Jesus’s side with a lance, the townspeople poke the old man with a burning brand. Thus, the old man emerges as a Christlike figure. Ironically, it is this Christlike person whom the Christian townspeople mistreat. Thus, in their superstitious understanding of religion, the people forego the central humanistic tenets of their own faith.