The Catholic Church's evangelical effort during the Age of Discovery served as both a major part of and a justification for the military conquests of European powers such as Portugal, Spain, and France.
Notes on verification
Multiple independent authoritative sources including National Geographic, Encyclopedia.com, Al Jazeera, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute all corroborate this claim. Primary source documentation exists in the form of papal bulls (Inter Caetera, 1493). The specific nations mentioned (Portugal, Spain, France) are all confirmed. This is well-established historical consensus.
Sources
- Catholic Church and the Age of Discovery (wikipedia)