Why is the pope so erratic?

UPDATE: According to recent changelogs, the bugs regarding Legatus Natus and PrimasGermaniae are fixed in Patch 1.4

Here the old answer with an explanation of the bug:

I just checked the event files for both events (LegatusNatus.txt and PrimasGermaniae.txt).

They behave pretty much in the same way, so I will only write it up for LegatusNatus.

From what I can gather, Mainz gets the title automatically within one month:

# Legatus Natus
country_event = {
    ...    
    trigger = {
        papacy_active = yes                      <-- Pope must exist
        tag = MAI                                <-- This only happens to Mainz
        exists = yes                             <-- Mainz must exist
        is_elector = yes                         <-- Mainz must be an elector
        government = theocratic_government       <-- Mainz has to be a theocracy
        NOT = { has_country_flag = happened_763 }<-- The event has not happened yet
    }

    mean_time_to_happen = { months = 1 }

    immediate = { set_country_flag = happened_763 }

    option = {
        name = "EVTOPTA763"
        add_country_modifier = {
            name = "legatus_natus"
            duration = -1
        }
    }
}

And this is where things go wrong. For Mainz to get the title there is no need for a good papal relation, and Mainz starts out with a low one in fact.

However, the event for losing the title is as follows:

# Position as Legatus Natus Revoked
country_event = {
    ...
    trigger = {
        has_country_modifier = legatus_natus <-- Country must be legatus natus
        OR = {                               <-- and either of the following is true
            capital_scope = { is_part_of_hre = no } <-- not part of the HRE
            NOT = { government = theocratic_government } <-- not a theocracy
            NOT = { religion = catholic } <-- not catholic
            NOT = { has_opinion ={ who = PAP value = 100 } } <-- not 100 relations with the Papal States
            exists = no <-- Country not existing
        }
    }

    mean_time_to_happen = { months = 1 }

    option = {
        name = "EVTOPTA964"
        remove_country_modifier = legatus_natus
        set_global_flag = no_legatus_natus
    }
}

So within another month after getting the title Mainz will lose it again due to the Papal States not having an opinion of 100 of Mainz.

If that's no bug, I don't know what is.

I guess Mainz should either get good relations with the Papal States from the beginning or only get the title after they hit the 100 relations threshold.

Also the info text for losing the title is highly confusing. Nowhere does it say that you have to have good relations to the Papal States.

It sounds like the game is trying to go through all catholic electors looking for one with a high enough relationship with the pope to give the title to, because nobody has it by default. You should never have received the title in the first place with a low relation, so don't worry about losing it. You probably can't keep it unless you can quickly raise relations through gift and enemy of enemy bonuses.

To regain the title, you need to maintain the 3 requirements you mentioned, have a high relationship with the pope, and wait for the previous title holder to die. Having a friendly relationship with the papal state may help as well.