ium , ▁Christians ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁remained ▁under ▁the ▁juris diction ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁po pe ▁until ▁ 7 3 2 . ▁In ▁that ▁year ▁the ▁icon oc last ▁By z antine ▁em peror ▁Leo ▁III , ▁anger ed ▁by ▁arch b ish ops ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁because ▁they ▁had ▁supported ▁Rome ▁in ▁the ▁Icon oc last ic ▁Cont ro vers y , ▁det ached ▁the ▁church ▁of ▁the ▁province ▁from ▁the ▁Roman ▁po pe ▁and ▁placed ▁it ▁under ▁the ▁patri arch ▁of ▁Constantin ople . ▁When ▁the ▁Christian ▁church ▁split ▁in ▁ 1 0 5 4 ▁between ▁the ▁East ▁and ▁Rome , ▁southern ▁Alban ian ▁regions ▁retained ▁their ▁t ies ▁to ▁Constantin ople ▁while ▁the ▁northern ▁areas ▁revert ed ▁to ▁the ▁juris diction ▁of ▁Rome . ▁ ▁The ▁Alban ians ▁first ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁historical ▁record ▁in ▁By z antine ▁sources ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁century . ▁At ▁this ▁point , ▁they ▁are ▁already ▁fully ▁Christian ized . ▁Most ▁Alban ian ▁regions ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Orth odox ▁Church ▁after ▁the ▁sch ism , ▁but ▁regional ▁Alban ian ▁populations ▁gradually ▁became ▁Catholic ▁to ▁secure ▁their ▁independence ▁from ▁various ▁Orth odox ▁political ▁entities ▁and ▁convers ions ▁to ▁Catholic ism ▁would ▁be ▁especially ▁notable ▁under ▁the ▁a eg is ▁of ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Alban ia . ▁Fl irt ations ▁with ▁convers ions ▁to ▁Catholic ism ▁in ▁Central ▁Alban ian ▁Princi p ality ▁of ▁Ar ban on ▁are ▁reported ▁in ▁the ▁later ▁ 1 2 th ▁century , ▁but ▁until ▁ 1 2