The role of religion in the rescue of the miners?

hearing about these men and how they were able to defer to one mans authority (the foreman) made me think. they had a lot of possible options. i am sure each with their pros and cons. but they were able to gather around one man, who's authority they followed. that got me to thinking (kind of scary). my husband goes to a unitarian fellowship--i have no doubt that they would have all kinds of trouble--one would say "is this tuna dolphin safe' another might say i can't eat that bisque "i am gluten intolerant". they would have to set up a committee to set up a committee. but because most if not all these men where catholic, and the catholic church has a very structured hierarchy, were they already predisposed to accepting an authority figure. and how much do you think that had to do with their survival