A Catholic archbishop has declared that attending certain Latin Masses could result in automatic excommunication.
In the Archdiocese of Maceió, Brazil, the Traditional Latin Mass is now restricted to a single approved location. According to the archbishop, attending or celebrating the Latin Mass elsewhere constitutes a “public act of schism,” which carries the most severe penalty in canon law: automatic excommunication.
This raises serious questions.
Does attending an unauthorized Latin Mass actually constitute schism?
Can excommunication be applied this broadly?
And why is this happening now—just as the SSPX prepares to consecrate new bishops despite warnings from Rome?
In this video, we examine the canonical, theological, and pastoral implications of this decision—and what it could mean for the future of the Latin Mass and unity within the Catholic Church.