Could Malta's unnamed defender have been excommunicated?

Could an excommunicated commander explain the missing name?

It is possible, but victory would probably have brought forgiveness or caused the earlier dispute to be quietly forgotten.

Excommunication offers another possible reason to suppress a defender's name. The objection is that defeating the invasion would probably have restored the commander's religious standing. A celebrated victory could have prompted formal forgiveness or allowed the earlier dispute to disappear from the story.