Alongside the Portuguese and Spanish maritime expansion of the 15th century two institutions appeared: the Portuguese Padroado Real and the Spanish Patronato Real. Within the jurisdiction of the Patronate the missions soon spread worldwide: the Portuguese missions were set up mainly in Africa, Asia and Brazil while the Spanish mission was focused on the Americas and Philippines. The establishment of different missions were associated above all with the Jesuits, the Franciscans, the Augustinians and the Dominicans. While each mission had its own specific aims and required different approaches and methods, they all had in common one singular objective: to convert the largest possible number of people to Catholicism and thus spread their message worldwide.