Ivan Zaffron

[4] On 13 November 1862,[5] he was selected to succeed Petar Dujam Maupas as bishop of Šibenik, who was appointed archbishop of Zadar.

[5] Simultaneously, he gained administration over the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan in the Ottoman Empire, which was at the time administered by the bishops of Dubrovnik.

[9] Immediately after taking office, Zaffron sent a letter to the foreign minister of Austria-Hungary Gyula Andrássy suggesting several measures to improve the lives of the Catholics in the Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan, among which was the introduction of Jesuits or Trappists, and Sisters of Mercy or Handmaids of Charity for the girl education.

[11] During the talks about the organisation of the Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Governor of Dalmatia General Gavrilo Rodić and Zaffron opposed the idea that Trebinje-Mrkan should be exempted from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Dubrovnik.

[12] However, the Austrian-Hungarian government couldn't meet these requests due to financial obligations and the consideration for the Eastern Orthodox, as it couldn't allow the Catholics, who were fewer in number, to have more bishops than the Eastern Orthodox, so they agreed in the Convention of 1881 to leave Trebinje-Mrkan under the administration of the bishop of Dubrovnik.