Final answer:
The statement is true; the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, or Reconquista, was both a military and a religious action for the Spanish. It was a fight against Muslim rule both for land and for the dominance of Christianity. Additionally, the term 'catholic' is rooted in the church's universal scope and influence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that reconquering the Iberian Peninsula was both a military and religious action for the Spanish is True. This period, known as the Reconquista, involved a series of campaigns by Christian states to recapture territory taken by Muslims. In the year 711, Muslim forces invaded and established control over most of the Iberian Peninsula. The Christian kingdoms in the northern part of the peninsula spent centuries trying to reclaim land. The struggle was not just for land but also for religious dominance, as Spanish Christians sought to re-establish Christianity as the primary religion in the region against the Islamic Moors.
In relation to the Catholic Church, the term 'catholic' means 'universal', which aligns with the church's claim of universal authority. Post the fall of the western Roman empire, the Catholic Church played a central role in uniting Western Europe under this spiritual and cultural banner, embodying a universal notion of Christianity. Therefore, the term remains synonymous with the wide-reaching influence and presence of the church during the period in question and beyond.