Steel Empire
Cordoba Council

Enough time has passed since the German Reformation Proclamation, to the point where the authority of the Catholic Church, or at least those still loyal to it, has gathered in Cordoba in its famous Cathedral. There they begin to quarrel about the ongoing events of urgent concern. The Berengar Reformation was far more popular than they had anticipated, especially after Ludolf's unfettered revelations of Church corruption and evil. Therefore, this was the most important concern they discussed at the meeting.

Simeon, as usual, began the meeting by shouting at anyone who opposed him. Although he held this meeting ahead of schedule to discuss the German Reformation and Schism between the Papacy in Avignon and the Vatican, he was not a diplomatic man. He is currently engaged in a debate with the Pope of Avignon, Avilius III, on what to do about the issue.

"If we do not correct our differences, this heretic called the German Reformation will sweep the entire Christian world like a plague!"

However, Avilius disagreed after all Berengar called it the German reform. After the last meeting, the French Pope had gathered little information about Berengar. As far as he was concerned, Berengar's ambition lay solely in German-speaking territory. Thus he did not accept the idea that the Reformation was designed for anything more than Germany. Therefore, he was confident to voice his opinion on the matter.

"Heard and his beloved pastor, Ludolf, called this the German Reformation. Why should I care about what the savages of the East believe? The Holy Roman Empire is your puppet, not mine!"

Avilius, as usual, drank from one urn of wine while making his opinion heard well. Although he was not as violent as Simeon, he was equally petty, unaware that allowing the German Reformation to decay could allow new branches of Christianity to emerge and further challenge the Papal Authority. These two men both proclaimed themselves as central figures of authority for the whole of Christendom, and thus, constantly in each other's throats. 

Simeon, as usual, was furious; his face was almost the color of a tomato as he shouted at Avilius once more.

"It's not your problem! The soul of every German is threatened by this heresy. Don't you care about their safety?"

Avilius simply smiled in satisfaction in response to Simeon's accusation. He could not properly acknowledge his contempt for the German people; after all, such a statement was inappropriate for a person who declared himself Pope. However, he cannot reject the claim with good conscience, as doing so would compromise his beliefs. This action, of course, further enraged Simeon, who struggled to contain his growing anger.

Seeing the direction of the meeting towards one of the Cardinals present immediately raised great concern. After all, the voice of reason that usually convinced these two men to behave themselves no longer existed, because he had switched sides and joined the German Reformation.

"Cardinal Engelbert is no longer with us, and therefore, we should take the time to consider the consequences if a Cardinal joins this heresy known as the German Reformation."

Seeing that the discussion was diverted in the other direction, the two Popes decided to put aside their differences for a while and discuss the issue. Avilius' reaction was quite remarkable.

"We must arrest all German Cardinals and interrogate them to find out whether they sympathize or not with this heretic! This is the only way to ensure that more of them do not flock to this so-called Reform."

Simeon, on the other hand, was once again enraged over Avilius' ideas. Although the King of Italy ruled the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Germany had always been an important factor in the stability of the Empire; for centuries, German kings ruled the Empire. With the ongoing civil and religious crisis in Germany, the power and authority of the Holy Roman Emperor had diminished. In Simeon's view, if they discriminate against German Cardinals who show no signs of heresy, then they will push more people into the German Reformation, he said, thus weakening the authority of not only the Vatican but also the Holy Roman Empire. 

Of course, the only people who would benefit from such an outcome would be Avilius, the Pope of Avignon, whose influence extended greatly to the Kingdom of France, which had a long-standing rivalry with Germany for centuries. Therefore, Simeon quickly responded to this idea with disdain.

"You must want it, don't you, Avilius? The only person who can benefit from the chaos that will ensue is you!"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Simeon."

The result of this brief exchange caused the entire council to produce chaos as the assembled cardinals and bishops all began to shout at each other and hurl insults. Finally, a loud whistling sound appeared across the room, instantly silencing all the banter. As the cardinals and bishops searched for who was responsible for the noise, they saw a Cardinal frowning at them all as if they were a bunch of brats. After gazing at the crowd of priests for some time, the Cardinal finally voiced his opinion on the matter.

“It has become increasingly clear to me that neither Avilius nor Simeon is fit to be Pope; so, what I propose is simple. The two of you, two fools, step back from your position and let us all choose one new Pope, one who is truly capable of fighting the crisis we face!"

Avilius and Simeon immediately protested against this option. However, they found little support in the room. 

"Absolutely not!"

"Who do you call stupid?"

However, not a single voice defended them among the crowd; the two men finally realized that their support had waned. Last year the council was split into two parties supporting one of the two papal candidates. Now, however, after the calamities that occurred during this period of time and their petty quarrels, there was not a single priest in the room who supported any of these would-be Popes. The cardinal who voiced this choice looked menacingly at the two self-proclaimed Popes and punished them like children.

"Engelbert joined the Reformist movement because he was sick and tired of dealing with you idiots and felt that the Reformist movement provided a better alternative. If none of you want to abdicate, then you have no other choice. We will choose a new one. Pope and declare both your positions invalid, which will only further increase the volatility of the situation we are in. For once in your life, you should both do your best for the Church and not your own selfish ambitions!"

After thrashing, both Simeon and Avillius looked at each other with helpless expressions; finally, Avilius was the first to speak.

"I voluntarily relinquished my position as head of the Avignon Papacy and hereby express my support for the election of a new united Pope!"

With the resignation of Avillius, all that was left was Simeon. Therefore, the entire Cordoba Council looked at him with intimidating eyes before finally the man broke away from the pressure and bowed to their wishes.

"Me too, take off my position." 

With that, the two former Popes sat in their seats and admitted defeat. They might be an incompetent pair of fools. However, even they can realize when they lack support if they refuse to abdicate, they will be forced by the Ecclesiarchy out of their position and roam the world as Self-Proclaimed Popes without any real power or authority. It is best to remove themselves and maintain some degree of authority within the united Catholic Church. 

Thus, the College of Cardinals will hold elections in the coming month, where a Pope will be elected and placed as the leader of the Catholic Church for years to come. Whether this Pope will be more competent or not than Simeon and Avilius is not yet known, but it is a good start on the road to recovery. Although they solve one of the main problems of infighting, the two main problems present themselves, which need to be discussed thoroughly. Ongoing German reforms and the Teutonic State's war with the Golden Horde. Thus, the new Council began to resolve the crisis that the Catholic Church is experiencing today.

While the Cordoba Council was in progress, Berengar and his allies in the German Reformation had made grand plans to secure areas where their movement had taken a foothold. Tyrol was, of course, as safe as a region in this chaotic age, but Berengar's neighbors would need help, and the young Count gladly took advantage of such an effort.