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Why did Counter-Reformation missionaries often work in lands colonized by Spain and Portugal?

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Title page of a 1568 Welsh Christian doctrine book by Morys Clynnog, featuring Welsh text and a woodcut illustration of the crucifixion of Jesus at the center. — Counter-Reformation Title page of *Athravaeth Gristnogavl* (1568; “Christian Doctrine”), a Roman Catholic catechism translated into Welsh by Morys Clynnog as part of the church's Counter-Reformation efforts.

During the Counter-Reformation, missionaries frequently operated in lands colonized by Spain and Portugal because these nations were major Roman Catholic powers that viewed the evangelization of indigenous populations as a fundamental royal duty.12

The expansion of these empires provided a logistical framework for missionary work, as clergy members were often included in expeditions, allowing them to travel wherever Spanish and Portuguese ships sailed. Under the system of royal patronage (patronato real or padroado), the monarchs of Spain and Portugal accepted responsibility for spreading the faith, and the papacy granted them authority over missionary activities in their respective territories.12

Religious orders such as the Jesuits, Franciscans, and Dominicans served as the primary agents of this expansion. While these missions were sometimes used to impose European cultural norms, they also provided a platform for the Catholic Church to solidify its global influence in response to the Protestant Reformation, effectively establishing the faith in the New World, the Philippines, and parts of Asia.12345