[3] Historian Jean Mitchell-Lanham says: "While this event is based on legend, the supposed battle has provided one of the strongest ideological icons in the Spanish national identity.

"[4] In the 17th century, followers of his cult (Santiaguistas) proposed the patronage of Spain under his name, in contrast to those who favored Teresa of Ávila.

The Santiaguistas overcame and won this religious debate, naming him the Patron Saint of Spain, until November 1760 when Pope Clement XIII rescinded this honor and officially declared the Immaculate Conception as the patroness of Spain as a country, and installed the historical apostle James as patron of the Spaniards.

Other locales in the Philippines that invoke the icon as its patron saint include Plaridel, Bulacan; Bolinao, Pangasinan; Betis, Pampanga; Libon, Albay; Ibaan, Batangas and Dapitan.

Teresa's promoters said Spain faced new challenges, especially the threat of Protestantism and the declining society at home, and needed a modern patron saint who understood these problems and could lead the Spanish nation back.

Santiago's supporters (Santiaguistas) fought back viciously and won the day, but Teresa of Ávila remained far more popular at the local level.

[6] The statue of James Matamoros at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, one of the holiest pilgrimages of the Catholic Church, was reported to be slated for removal after the 2004 Madrid train bombings perpetrated by radical Islamists in an effort to seek "harmony and understanding" with the Muslim community in Spain and to prevent anger from the Arab-Muslim world.