Religion can be of an importance for a society for a variety of reasons. Depending on the culture and governmental style it can range from a simple influence to a complete control of society(Such as Theocracy). The importance may not necessarily be as straight forward as many people may believe.But, In nations where the government holds a large amount of control over the population religion can play a large role in one's everyday life.
The vast majority of Latin Americans are Christians, mostly Roman Catholics belonging to the Latin Rite. About 70% of the Latin American population consider themselves Catholic.