Hi people
I haven't read through this entire thread yet, but I just wanted to remind everyone of an event that Basileus brought up for EEP that they didn't use because (IMO) it kicks ass
"Has there been a "reunification of Christendom" event proposed yet? This would be a reversal of the Great Schism, a perhaps utopian solution to letting the Byzantines be happy with a form of Orthodoxy (the Pope reverts to the "first among equals", as in pre 11th century status.
Trigger: Byzantium has +100 or greater relations with ALL Catholic and Orthodox countries (does not matter the reltions with other relgions), and +170 or greater relations with the Papacy, Bad Boy rating no greater than 3, has expelled the Turks from Europe and Anatolia, and has liberated the Holy Land. It will then not appear that the Byzantines are asking for a reconciliation for security reasons.
If the relations with the Pope drop to lower than 150, the Pope calls off the Synod (the schismatics are not yet ready for unification); also if the stability for the Byzantines drops to -1 or lower, then the government had lost enough moral standing to lead the conference in the eyes of the Orthodox faithful, or something of that nature.
Here is a suggestion how it might go.
A. End of the Great Schism
1. Agreed. It has gone on for too long. (+10 relations with Papacy, go to event B.)
2. Forget it! Let the Schismatics in Rome burn! (nothing)
B. Where shall the Synod be held?
1. Convene the Synod in Constantinople. (-10 relations with Papacy (Pope is annoyed), +1 stability (government looks strong))
2. Allow the Pope to host the conference in Rome. (+10 relations with Papacy (Pope is grateful), -1 stability (government looks weak))
3. Ask a neutral state to host the synod, such as Venice, Cologne, or Florence. (+50 relations with the state (state gets large prestige), -1 stablity (government looks weak, asking barbarians for aid))
C. The Status of the Emperor
1. The Emperor remains Christ's Vicar on Earth and Equal to the Apostles. (+1 stability, -10 relations with Pope, -100 relations with whichever state is the seat of the Holy Roman Empire)
2. The Emperor is merely the ruler of the Eastern part of Christendom. (-1 stability, large revolt risk in any Western provinces, +50 relations with whichever state is the seat of the Holy Roman Empire)
D. The status of the Pope
1. Universal Head of Christendom. (+100 relations with Pope, +50 relations with Catholic countires, -50 relations with Protestant and Reformed countries, -50 relations with Orthodox countires, -1 stability (challenged Emperor's authority, as well as the other Orthodox bishops)
2. First among equals. (-20 relations with Pope, -10 relations with Catholic countires, +20 relations with Orthodox countries)
3. Just another Bishop, no greater than another. (-100 relations with Papacy, -100 relations with Catholic countires, +100 relations with Orthodox countires)
E. Toleration of Heretics
1. The Protestant heretics shall feel the wrath of the Romans! (-150 relations with all Protestant and Reformed countires, +150 relations with Counter-reformed Catholic nations, +100 relations with Catholic nations)
2. Let them find their own ways to Hell. (-20 relations with Catholics (dashed expectations of Byzantine support), +20 relations with Protestants and Reformed (they are relived they will not be persecuted in Byzantium))
F. Seat of Christendom
1. Let it be Rome! (-1 stability (important clergymen leaving Constantinople for Rome), +1 tax base to Rome
2. Let it be Constantinople! (+1 stability, +1 tax base to Thrace, -1 stability for Papacy
If the Byzantines and Papacy manage to agree on these, Byzantium and the Papacy each get +1000 VPs (Christendom is reunified, after all), but another event is held... It is not over yet!
G. Confirmation of the Synod (All Orthodox nations get this, aside from Byzantium)
1. It shall be so. Let us all be in communion again (+10 relations with Byzantium and Papacy, -1 stability (conservatives annoyed))
2. Never! The Emperor has sinned against the True Faith! (-200 relations with Byzantium and Pope)
Hope this can help a bit! Feel free to make suggestions."
I think the "Seat of Christendom" bit needs to go (if you don't let the pope ~think~ he's in charge (eg. D), the synod's over) and there needs to be one of these suckers for the filioque bit. We may not care about it, but ~they~ did
If this gets included and (miraculously for the AI, or after a few decades of trying for us) happens, it's up in air whether it would go Orthodox or Catholic.
For orthodoxy, you have the fact that unified Christendom would be more traditional and focused (not to say full of itself). It would keep them from going Protestant (which likely wouldn't've happened in this event)
On the other hand, if the patriarchs were suddenly taking their orders from Rome, who's to say they wouldn't've started handing out Bibles in the vernacular and teaching their flock those catchy Lutheran hymns
What do y'all think?
I would love for there to be some event like this, however ahistorical (The empire didn't survive, one; and two, likely would've never spent the time cultivating the relationship with the West implied by the triggers).
jay.