[3] However, despite the demand of both Pope Alexander and Stephen III, Lucas, Archbishop of Esztergom attempted to hinder the consecration of Andrew, because of his allegedly non-canonical election.
[8] Because of Lucas' forced exile from state affairs, Andrew, also a skilled diplomat, became de facto head of the Catholic Church in Hungary, his status was also acknowledged by Pope Alexander III.
[9] After Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa deprived Adalbert from his dignity of Archbishop of Salzburg because of his pro-papal affiliation, Pope Alexander sent his papal legate Walter, Bishop of Albano to resolve the conflict.
[12] According to the monarch, Andrew "insulted his royal authority", as a result Béla soon deprived the Archbishop and his supporter, Gregory, the Provost of Székesfehérvár Chapter, of their office and seized the revenues of the archbishopric.
[13] Lucas charged Andrew with unlawful domination of priests and clergymen of the royal churches, which were traditionally placed under the territorial authority of the Archdiocese of Esztergom.
[14] In his letter of harsh tone sent to Hungary in March 1179, Pope Alexander, threatened to excommunicate Lucas if he maintains the punishment he has imposed on Andrew.
[16] After the fall of his influence in the royal court of Hungary, Andrew spent almost all time of his remaining tenure in Rome, and dealt with only ecclesiastical affairs.
Pope Alexander answered in a letter in 1180 that a married man can be ordained a priest if he divorces with the consent of his wife and makes a vow of purity before ordination.
[18] Andrew also dealt with the insubordination polemics belonging the Benedictine friars of the Kő monastery, established by Ban Beloš decades earlier, in Syrmia (which laid under the ecclesiastical authority of Kalocsa).