Why is Mexico a very religious country?

One of the objectives of Spanish conquistadores during the conquest of the Americas - besides gold and eternal glory - was to 'convert the heathen' to their own religion: Roman Catholicism. When they subdued the native American civilizations located in Mexico during the 16th century, they indoctrinated the population and for the following three centuries, the Catholic church became a very strong force on its own: it was a real power and the only institution truly respected by all the population. Even so, that at the beginning of the struggle for independence (1810-1821), father Miguel Hidalgo used a banner with the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe to rally the population against colonial authorities.

Even tough present-day Roman Catholic church in Mexico is no longer a political power on its own, it is still a strong institution embedded on the minds of the population: most Mexicans are Catholic (up to 88% of them) and are followers of the church's traditions such as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day, Candlemas, Easter, Day of the Dead and Christmas.