[DManA]

Yes, the layman. I tried to clarify that in #18.

[Mrs. Don-o]

OK, now I get what you were saying.

No, a layman cannot be excommunicated for saying his bishop is guilty of sacrilege. No ecclesiastical penalty can be brought against him whatsoever if

• what he's saying is truthful, and
• he does not urge insubordination against the office, or contempt against the person of the bishop, e.g. physical attack, verbal abuse, apostasy, schism.

There's a Canon on that, but right now I don't have time to look it up. It's basically, you can't say "My bishop is a --- I'll put it in Latin --- saquus shitentiae," or words to that effect. :o0

Canon Law cannot be used to penalize anyone who is respectfully exhorting his ecclesiastical superior to act lawfully.

People who did that are canonized saints, e.g. St. Catherine of Siena.