England attacks me, yet I'm threatened with Ex-com?

[SMZ]

lol - ^^ said perfectly

I make it a matter of habit in my games to now either send my first diplomat directly to Rome, or build one as quickly as possible and send him to Rome - I then simply offer a tribute of 500 florins per turn for something like 20 turns - the Pope is overjoyed and instantly has Perfect relations with me, I can then get an Alliance - and I leave my diplomat sitting there in case I ever do something to annoy his holiness like repeatedly attack a catholic faction, ignore a called crusade, ignore a papal mission, etc, etc.... once the 20 turns is up, I renew it - my florins keep trickling into the holy fingers in the background and I don't have to be concerned

so it only costs 600 florins a turn (500 for the bribe, 100 for the diplo) and you get all those benefits Sentinel just listed, which in turn more than make good on the investment.... or you could hire two knights for the same money, lol

EDIT: dunno if the following includes me, but no flaming was intended - I'm el oh eling at the Pope's grubby fingers, not any poster on here =]