 Later Costa was declared a "" – a person to be avoided by Catholics – and those Catholics who became adherents of ICAB were excommunicated also.According to Peter Anson, Costa was excommunicated "for attacks against the papacy,"

In 1949, the Brazilian government temporarily suppressed all public worship by ICAB, because its liturgy and its clerical attire would result in confusion by being indistinguishable from those of the Catholic Church and were tantamount to deception of the public.However, a few months later ICAB churches were permitted to reopen, provided that their liturgy would not duplicate the Catholic liturgy, and their clergy would wear gray clerical attire in contrast to the black attire worn by Catholic clergy.