Conseil du Royaume

[OverKnight]

Hugues speaks.

Well, war with England is one thing. We all know it's coming. We've fought them in the past and most likely in the future. We cannot suffer our Kingdom to be split as it is now.

However, not to be a wet blanket. . .war with England is one thing, but what happens when the Pope commands us to stop warring with a fellow Catholic nation under pain of excommunication? I can see it now, our armies on the march, castles besieged, victory speeches written and then that dreaded message comes. When threatened with excommunication would we withdraw? Would we stop the war?

While our relations with the Holy See are not as miserable as the Germans', the Pope will quickly command an end to any offensive action against England. What do we want more, war with the English or to stay within the Church?

Now, with some preperation, we could have both. But it would require a bit of patience. Perhaps not one of our strengths. Before we can launch an effective and prolonged war against the English, we need to improve our standing within the Church. We could also goad the English into war and then fight a defensive campaign against them, setting them up as the aggressors in the eyes of the Pope. If they are excommunicated, then all bets are off. Though, this would require time as well.

It's a bit of a pickle, no doubt, but we need to tread carefully.