▁soldiers " ▁who , ▁with , ▁their ▁help , ▁could ▁throw ▁off ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁Ras cia . ▁ ▁Although ▁Ser bian ▁r ul ers ▁at ▁earlier ▁times ▁had ▁at ▁times ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁Catholic ▁West ▁despite ▁being ▁Orth odox , ▁as ▁a ▁counter bal ance ▁to ▁By zan it ne ▁power , ▁and ▁therefore ▁toler ated ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁Catholic ism ▁in ▁their ▁lands , ▁under ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Ste phan ▁D ush an ▁the ▁C athol ics ▁were ▁per sec uted , ▁as ▁were ▁also ▁Orth odox ▁b ish ops ▁loyal ▁to ▁Constantin ople . ▁The ▁Catholic ▁r ite ▁was ▁called ▁Latin ▁her es y ▁and , ▁anger ed ▁in ▁part ▁by ▁mar ri ages ▁of ▁Ser bian ▁Orth odox ▁with ▁" half - bel ie vers " ▁and ▁the ▁Catholic ▁pros ely t ization ▁of ▁Ser bi ans , ▁D ush an ' s ▁code , ▁the ▁Zak on ik ▁contained ▁har sh ▁measures ▁against ▁them . ▁However , ▁the ▁per sec utions ▁of ▁local ▁C athol ics ▁did ▁not ▁begin ▁in ▁ 1 3 4 9 ▁when ▁the ▁Code ▁was ▁declared ▁in ▁Sk op je , ▁but ▁much ▁earlier , ▁at ▁least ▁since ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century . ▁Under ▁these ▁circumstances ▁the ▁relations ▁between ▁local ▁Catholic ▁Alban ians ▁and ▁the ▁pap al ▁cur ia ▁became ▁very ▁close , ▁while ▁the ▁previously ▁friendly ▁relations ▁between ▁local ▁C athol ics ▁and ▁Ser bi ans ▁d eter ior ated ▁significantly . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 3 5