The Catholic religion. As a matter of fact, Ferdinand and Elizabeth, the monarchs who financed the journey by Columbus in 1492, were reffered to as "Ferdinand and Elizabeth the Catholic". After Hernan Cortes arrived to what is now Mexico, the franciscans and jesuits followed and spread throughout "Nueva España" or New Spain to convert natives to the new religion. The franciscans intended to "mexicanize" the gospel , whilst the jesuists intended to christianize the natives.