M2TW: How do I eliminate the Pope faction?

**tcgreg99** · 01-25-2007, 13:01

Hi,

is there a way to eliminate the pope faction in M2TW?
I know I can kill the pope, but I have not figured out how I can eliminate the whole faction like the senate in RTW.
I have sacked Rome, but everytime I kill the pope he pops up next to the city of rome when a new pope is elected.
What happens, when there are no more cardinals to choose from? Is that the end of the papal states?
Any experiences, hints or thoughts are welcome.

Thanks.

**sapi** · 01-25-2007, 13:08

You can't actually destroy the papal states, but you can nullify them by killing every pope that appears until the college of cardinals is empty.

**JCoyote** · 01-25-2007, 13:22

If you're catholic, just crank out lots of clergy until you control the cardinals. Then whenever the pope gets uppity, whack him and you'll get a new one who loves you!

No Catholic Empire should be without Pope on a Rope!

**joe4iz** · 01-25-2007, 13:53

Originally Posted by JCoyote

If you're catholic, just crank out lots of clergy until you control the cardinals. Then whenever the pope gets uppity, whack him and you'll get a new one who loves you!

No Catholic Empire should be without Pope on a Rope!

Pope on a Rope!

**tcgreg99** · 01-25-2007, 13:57

Originally Posted by sapi

You can't actually destroy the papal states, but you can nullify them by killing every pope that appears until the college of cardinals is empty.

Thanks. But have you ever done this? Is it possible to have an empty college of cardinals?
My experience so far: I keep killing the pope every turn with my pro-assasin, but every other turn a pope promotes some priests to cardinals right after the election, but before I even get a chance to kill the newly elected pope.

**sapi** · 01-25-2007, 14:04

Since the papacy acts at the end of a turn, if you kill a pope per turn they are unable to elect new cardinals and are eventually destroyed.

I did this in my hre game (and got a nice surprise when i got a pope automaticly promoted on winning)

**Quillan** · 01-25-2007, 16:35

It might also be possible to take out all the catholic factions. With nobody to give the Papal States a new province they'd be effectively destroyed. There would be no new source of priests and thus no new cardinals, so they'd eventually die out. Obviously this is only feasible if you are playing an Orthodox of Muslim faction.

**zstajerski** · 01-25-2007, 18:20

It is better eliminating all othe catholics then all cardinals are yours and they autoelect the new pope betwen them, everytime teh old one dies:)

edit:
you can also take Rome, But then a new pope apears near every time