Most people don't know how absolutely brutal Mexico was against Catholicism just a few generations ago
If it lives today in a fairly eccentric form, its partly to do with the eradication of its normative form :
Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles publishes the Calles Law, which bans religious education; foreign priests; and political commentary in religious publications.
Additionally, the law allows for any Church property to be seized by the state, and all religious worship must be conducted under the supervision of secular officials inside a church.
People are not allowed to pray in public or at home, or they risk fines of up to 500 pesos ($230 USD) and imprisonment.
Family members are encouraged to inform on one another for the maintenance of “tolerance.”