Luis Sotelo was a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary born in Seville in 1574. After studying at the University of Salamanca, he served in the Philippines, where he acquired proficiency in the Japanese language. He played a significant role in diplomatic and religious efforts, acting as a translator for a Japanese embassy traveling to Spain. Although the Pope appointed him as a bishop for Japan, internal rivalries prevented his formal consecration. He eventually returned to Japan, where he was martyred in 1624.