Partners with the Spanish Crown in subduing and christianizing the native people, the four main religious orders of Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans and Augustinians accompanied conquistadors in 1517. In 1528 the Church named  Juan De Zumarraga as the first Bishop of Mexico. He was elevated to the first Archbishop before his death at 80 in 1548.

The Church became fabulously wealthy during the colonial period, eventually acquiring one-third of all the property in Mexico. The government used gifts of land and political authority to reward soldiers, nobles and priests who would secure Spanish power. Although attempts were made to mitigate abuses that arose from the repartimiento system, widespread corruption eventually led to public revolt and nationalization of all Church property in 1859.