I am dully flattered by the tons of comments I think it would be not too wise to take the Papacy head on. Unfortunatelly it is the Papacy that burns my people running around with 5 star grand inquisitors... There are misterious assassinations, as well.

The only Christian power now is France that owns most of (present day) France and also most of Africa and some of the Holy Land. There is HRE (3), Poland (1) and Danes (1) territory - no longer significant. England is extinct, I took Scotland, Norway and Sweden meanwhile. These helped my economy with their trade income.

I think I have to undermine Papacy with agents while trying to gain land and income to the expense of the Horde and thus shortening the borders on the long run. I have to try to use inquisitors and grand inqusitors training them on easy targets to get them up on valor. Money is short because I have few trading provinces and the entire map is devastated by the constant warfare: there are few ports remaining and many of the new nations cannot afford to build ports. So even though I have ship in every sea region and all green (so noone I am at war has a ship) it is still not the countless florins pouring in.

I am also considering playing an opportunistic turtle. Point-wise I am not doing bad as neither the Papacy, nor The Horde gets points, so I can actually win by remaining like that till the end of time (1453?) I never seen that winning screen, yet, by the way...

When I get home I hope I can post some pix to support my reply