What interest did the Catholic Church take in the Indians who lived in Spain's American empire?

The Catholic Church had a significant interest in the indigenous peoples in Spain's American Empire as they saw them as potential converts to Christianity. The Church aimed to spread the Catholic faith and establish missions to educate and convert the indigenous populations, often with the support of the Spanish crown. However, this also led to the exploitation and mistreatment of indigenous peoples in the name of religious conversion and colonization.