To become Pope in Crusader Kings 3, you need the By God Alone expansion, a clerical character who holds a Cardinalate, and enough Papabile Score to win the College of Cardinals’ vote when the throne falls vacant. The quickest alternatives are to start the game as the Pope, since theocratic rulers are now playable, or to proclaim yourself Antipope and win the Challenge Head of Faith war.
Playable theocracies, the College of Cardinals and the Papabile Score are all paid features of Crusader Kings III: By God Alone, according to Paradox’s launch changelog. Without the expansion, the Pope stays an AI character. Below we cover each route, the interactions that move the vote, and the traps that knock a candidate out. For the full feature list, see our guide to what By God Alone adds.
Route 1: Start as the Pope
Paradox says theocratic characters, from prince-bishops and archbishops up to the Pope himself, are now playable. The most direct route is simply to pick the Pope’s realm on the start screen.
Which start date matters. In 867, East and West still share one faith, Chalcedonianism, which has no Head of Faith: Rome and Constantinople are only Heads of Rite until the Great Schism happens. By 1066 and 1178 the Schism has already occurred, Catholicism exists as its own faith, and the Pope sits at its head. If you want the full papal toolkit on day one, including Papal Bulls, start in 1066 or 1178. In an 867 game, the Schism (or its prevention) is decided through the Christian Church Situation.
When you die as a theocrat without a dynasty member set to inherit, Paradox’s dev diary explains that you continue as the next clergyman in line for your title, so a papal campaign does not end with your first Pope.
Route 2: Climb Through the College of Cardinals
This is the “real” route, and the one behind the Servus Servorum Dei achievement (start as a secular ruler of Duke tier or lower, or as a Count-tier cleric, and become the Pope).
- Get a clerical character. Either play a cleric, or turn your ruler into one with the Adopt Theocratic Rule decision, which converts your government to a Theocracy.
- Earn a Cardinalate. A clerical character can use the Request Cardinalate interaction on the Pope for themselves. A secular ruler can instead put a kinsman on the council as Court Chaplain and use Request Cardinalate for Court Chaplain. The College holds up to 70 Cardinals.
- Watch the shortlist. Open the College of Cardinals window with Alt+G. Per Paradox’s dev diary, the next Pope comes from a shortlist of three archetypes: the Pious (Piety level first, then Learning and traits such as Scholar, Pilgrim and Mystic), the Populist (Prestige, friends in the College, popular Personal Tenets) and the Powerful (the size of their Rite, Holy Sites, dynasty prestige and bought Papabile Score).
- Raise your Papabile Score. The Increase Papabile Score interaction spends Piety or gold. Paradox’s diary says spending enough in one go can put a candidate first as the Powerful choice.
- Line up the votes. Influence College of Cardinals Vote pressures one Cardinal to back your candidate. The dev diary adds that a Puppet or a strong Hook makes them accept, and that a gold bribe helps when you have neither.
- Campaign as the Populist. The Promulgate Word of Pious Deeds decision spends Piety to raise your election score for your superior’s title.
When you win, a dedicated screen lets you choose your regnal name. Female Popes get that option too.
Route 3: Proclaim Yourself Antipope
If the vote will not go your way, take the throne by force. The Proclaim Yourself Antipope decision makes you the Challenger Head of Faith of your Rite. Paradox’s dev diary says it is available to a landed ecclesiastical ruler who holds a Clerical Region, and needs Piety, Holy Sites and a rivalry with the sitting Head of Faith, among other checks. Then fight the Challenge Head of Faith war. If the challenger wins, they become Head of Faith and their Rite becomes the Mainline Rite.
Antipopes and the Challenge Head of Faith casus belli are in the free 1.20.0 update, so this route is not locked behind the DLC in the same way. The dev diary notes the costs are 33% cheaper during the Investiture Controversy.
Controlling the Pope Instead
A king does not have to wear the tiara to run the Church. With By God Alone you can make the Pope your Clerical Ruler Puppet, then act through them: appointing Cardinals, excommunicating rivals and more. The Two Swords achievement asks you to hold both the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope as Puppets at the same time. Secular rulers can also steer the Church with the Guide the Christian Church decision, available once every ten years, which pushes the Situation toward the Chapter you pick. Taken as Head of Faith, it has four times the effect.
What Knocks a Candidate Out
- Lay Clergy Rites. Cardinals of a Lay Clergy Rite cannot be elected Pope.
- Renouncing. The Renounce the Papacy decision removes a cleric from every conclave shortlist, though it can be reversed.
- Sinful traits. Paradox’s diary says sinful traits hurt a Pious candidate more than virtuous traits help.
- Stripped Cardinalates. The Pope can dissolve a Cardinalate, removing that seat from the College.
Tips Most Players Miss
- The Servants of God dynasty legacy helps: Mitre and Crosier raises your chance of being made a Cardinal, and Princes of the Church makes dynasty members stronger papal candidates.
- A new Pope can swap one Core Tenet on taking office, per the dev diary, and if they follow a different Rite, that Rite becomes the mainline. The election matters even when you are not running.
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Cardinals weigh the Core Tenet a candidate would swap in against their own traits and beliefs, according to Paradox’s dev diary, so a candidate whose Tenet suits the College has an edge. Our launch news story covers the free religion update that added Personal Tenets.
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Between papal campaigns, another medieval sandbox where clans and marriages matter is Mount and Blade 2; our Bannerlord mods list covers the best ways to expand it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you become Pope in Crusader Kings 3 without By God Alone? No. Playable theocracies and the College of Cardinals are paid features of By God Alone.
Can a woman become Pope? Yes. Paradox’s changelog says female Popes can choose a regnal name like male Popes, and theocratic gender succession follows the Clerical Gender doctrine.
Can my son become Pope? Yes, if he becomes a Cardinal. Make him your Court Chaplain and request a Cardinalate for him, then raise his Papabile Score and influence the vote.
What is the hotkey for the College of Cardinals? Alt+G opens the College of Cardinals window.
Can the Pope start wars? Theocracies can only declare religious wars, according to the changelog.