Examples Of Hypocrisy In Candide

In Voltaire’s Candide, there is a recurring satirical theme of religious hypocrisy as well as intolerance. Ironically, this comes during the Enlightenment where there was significant religious conflict. On multiple occasions, Voltaire clearly points out and criticizes religious leaders and exhibits their corruption through negative events that occur.

Early on in the book, Candide flees from the Bulgarians and ends up in Holland. Coincidentally, he stumbles upon an orator giving a speech on charity. As Candide has lost his provisions on his journey, he asks for bread and is subsequently questioned about religion. When he gives an indirect response, the orator refuses him food and instead tells him that he is undeserving and should begone.

Soon thereafter, he is taken into the home of an Anabaptist, whom the people disdained, named James who takes care of him after having witnessed the encounter. This is clearly hypocritical because the Christian orator who had just been talking about giving to others was just put to the test and was unable to practice what he had been previously preaching, but the Anabaptist who was viewed as a radical Christian at the time, is kind and charitable.
Shortly after, Candide goes on a journey to Lisbon where there has been a significant earthquake, that of 1755.

It had been decided that in order to prevent this nation, the Church, should burn people alive. Pangloss and Candide are caught in the mix and Pangloss is hanged for speaking his mind, and Candide is whipped for listening to him with assumed approval. After all of the burning, then there is a second earthquake, and through this, Voltaire shows that their supposed effectual and infallible methods, are ridiculous and meaningless, because in the end they had no effect. It is also a representation of how Candide began to realize that yet again although the Church was supposedly pious, that this is jut a façade, given their wicked actions that do not match this

narrative.
Voltaire also uses women to criticize religion during the enlightenment.

Cunégonde who is portrayed as an irresistible woman is being passed around by men who are of the Church. The Bulgarians have killed her family and she has been raped and taken as a slave. She is eyed by various men including Candide, The Grand Inquisitor, and a Jewish man named Don Issachar. The Grand Inquisitor uses his power as a church official to threaten Don Issachar, a jew, if he does not give Cunégonde to him as his mistress. This not only shows his greed, but the misuse of power in the Church, and the immorality of its officials. However, they are both killed by Candide in the end which discredits the idea that there is some type of superiority or invincibility in identifying with one religion over another.

Finally, Voltaire satirizes the Catholic Church by discrediting its most important figure, the pope. Popes are sworn to celibacy, but while on his journey to the New World with Cunégonde and an old woman he finds out the Pope’s secret. The old woman turns out to be the daughter of the Pope, which means that the most prominent figure of the Church has broken his oath to remain celibate. His daughter, and her mother are eventually taken and raped which again goes to show that being affiliated with a religion does not mean that good will come to

you.
In his book, Voltaire continuously points out the irony in religion and speaks out against them in a very discreet way. He clearly shows that he has no regard for the religious and gives valid instances of why. He shows the sinful and evil actions of various people in various countries that Candide visited throughout the book and mocks them for his own advantageous use. He shows and condemns the hypocrisy through the actions of the Bulgarians, the Portuguese, and the Pope along with other prominent religious figures, and through this, he is able to successfully show that religion in this context is meaningless and insincere.