between Herzegovina and Croatia, Fr. Paškal was consecrated a bishop in Zagreb by the Archbishop of Zagreb Cardinal Josip Mihalović on 19 March 1880, after which Bishop Paškal visited Emperor in Vienna and Pope in Rome. He was finally installed as the apostolic vicar on 25 April 1880. His episcopal motto was "All for the faith and homeland". His choice to be consecrated in Zagreb and not by some neighbouring bishops, enabled Herzegovina to eliminate the dominance of the Bosnian Franciscans, who, with the help from Bishop of Đakovo Josip Juraj Strossmayer, tried to control it. Bishop Paškal worked steadily on his career. With the Austrian-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, the chances for Buconjić to become a residential bishop with the reintroduction of the regular Church hierarchy became palpable, unlike those of the Apostolic Vicar of Bosnia Bishop Paškal Vuičić. In March 1880, Cardinal Mihalović and Bishop Paškal discussed the organisation of the Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While in Vienna during the Spring of 1880, Bishop Paškal met with Apostolic Nuncio to Austria-Hungary, Cardinal Domenico Jacobini, who later consulted Cardinal Josip Mihalović about the organisation of the Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Both of them became impressed with Bishop Paškal. Bishop Paškal Buconjić With the Austrian-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, and signing of the Convention between Austria-Hungary and the Holy See on 8 June 1881, the ground for episcopal nominations was established. According to the convention, the Emperor had an exclusive right on the bishop appointment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Pope Leo XIII with the apostolic bull Ex hac augusta from 5 July 1881, restored the regular Church hierarchy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Pope established the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna with the seat in Sarajevo and subordinated to it three other dioceses: the newly established Diocese of Banja Luka, the already existing Diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan (under the apostolic administration from the bishop of Dubrovnik at the time) and the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno, to which he added the title of bishop of Duvno as well. The Diocese of Mostar-Duvno encompassed the territory of the Apostolic Vicariate of Herzegovina, which was thus abolished. At the time of its establishment, the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno had 130,000 Catholics. Due to his previous pro-Austrian stances, Minister of Finances Josip Szlávy nominated Bishop Paškal for the post of the residential bishop of Mostar-Duvno to the Emperor, who agreed and appointed