I am sure he wouldn't have been excommunicated. It was probably an empty threat, but it made him so mad, he left. He changed his whole feelings on the Catholic church because of that. He ended up being extremely happy he left and found the Episcopal church. He was a very prominent person in the community, and I think that is what made the church mad. Either way, if that hadn't happened, I may have been Catholic as a child.
When my French Grandfather was on his death bed he requested a Priest. The intire family was stunned and confused.
He had been excommunicated when he married my Protestant Grandmother.
All those years he had attended weddings, funerals and Protestant baptisms of his family but would not step foot in a Catholic Church for any reason.
This was a few years after the Vatican changed the services to turn the priest around to face the Congregation and abolished the Latin service.
A young Progressive Priest showed up and to our amazement told all of us that even if the Church had ticked him off, he should have attended another Christian Church, but he administrated the last Rites and it put my Grandfather so at ease he recovered until his death a couple of years later.
Mother told me that to be born a Catholic was to die a Catholic but I have found this one of the few times she has been wrong.
Hubby was one of 7 born into an Irish, Italian family in the Boston area, 3 boys 4 girls.
Out of all those kids only 2 of the girls attend Mass. The rest of the kids believe in GOD or so they say but none can explain WHY or give it a thought.
It is embarrassing for me to on a religious occasion, wedding or funeral, that Hubby depends on me to say the Hail Marys as few of his siblings can remember them.
I knew this as I sent my kids to Parochial schools and this was part of their homework.