His aristocratic background, despite being marked by illegitimacy, would be decisive for his career, which began with the completion of a solid program of theological studies, which started in Lisbon and continued in Valladolid and Paris, following the which he related to important figures of European humanism, with emphasis on Erasmus, to whom he was introduced in 1520.

The circumstances underlying the monarch's will to allow the appointment as Archbishop would be linked to the desire to reward services previously provided by Martinho, and to favour his predisposition to act in the strict defence of the royal interests regarding the establishment of the Inquisition in Portugal.

[2] The creation of Martinho as Archbishop of Funchal was also rooted on the need to find a structure that, without disturbing the position of any of the other two national metropolitans, that of Braga and the Lisbon, would authorize the establishment of several overseas dioceses and promote ecclesiastical decentralization in the new territories of the empire.

The performance of the visitors was not well received by the Madeiran faithful, historical sources affirm that they “carried out their office throughout the island, not with that kindness in which the Bishopric was created, but rather with much rigour and harshness”, reason why they were “disliked” by the population.

[8] During the time of their stay, the visitors appointed by Martinho de Portugal reported the following non-conformities and threatened those who practised them with excomunication: speaking during masses, singing, dancing and sleeping in church.

As for the Madeiran clergy the visitors appointed by Martinho were expected to persevere in teaching doctrine to the faithful, to be vigilant in relation to unmarried couples and to those who married illegally, to ring the bell three times a day, to be concerned with cleaning the altars and vestments.