Vatican excommunicates Brazilian priest Françoá Costa over ties to traditionalist group

The Vatican declared Padre Françoá Rodrigues Figueiredo Costa, a priest serving at the Capela Santo Anastácio in Ceilândia, Distrito Federal, excommunicated and in a state of cisma after he formally joined the Fraternidade Sacerdotal São Pio X (FSSPX). The decree followed the unauthorized ordination of four bishops by the fraternity in Ecône, Switzerland, on 1 July 2026, an act the Holy See classified as a grave act of schism.

The Archdiocese of Brasília issued a pastoral note stating that any sacraments celebrated by Costa – including marriages and confessions – are invalid, and it urged the faithful to avoid the chapel. Costa responded on social media with a video titled “Resposta aos Inimigos,” rejecting the Vatican's decision as null and void and insisting he will continue to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass, invoking canonical provisions he believes justify his actions.

The dispute reflects the broader tension between the traditionalist fraternity, which opposes reforms of the Second Vatican Council, and the Roman Catholic hierarchy. While the excommunication directly affects Costa, the clergy attached to the fraternity, and their congregants in Brazil, it does not currently extend beyond the national context.