Councils of Split

This transfer of powers is confirmed by the fact that the Byzantine governor of Dalmatia wasn't listed as one of the participants on the official council documents.

The main task of this Council was solving issues of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the Kingdom of Croatia and the eradication of the Slavic language and the Glagolitic alphabet in the liturgy.

Contenders for the seat of Metropolitan were: John, Archbishop of Split, as the successor of Salona Church founded by alleged student of Saint Peter Saint Domnius, Formin, Bishop of Zadar, as representative of Zadar, capital of Dalmatia, and Gregory, Bishop of Nin, whose diocese was territoriality the largest.

Article 1 of the Councils decisions states that "seat of the newly founded ecclesiastical province will be granted to the church and city where the bones of Saint Domnius lie", i.e. Archbishop John of Split.

This decision was directed against the Glagolitic clergy and those who served mass in Slavic language because Pope didn't understand it so he was afraid that those priests might spread heresy.

Gregory thought that Archbishop of Split was appointed Metropolitan because of his reputation and wealth, and connections he had in Rome, rather than because he was better than other candidates.