The Boston archbishop has launched a church investigation into allegations that New Hampshire Bishop Peter Libasci groped an altar boy decades ago, the archdiocese signaled last week.
In an email, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston said the matter has been referred to the Washington-based apostolic nuncio, which is the point of contact between American dioceses and the Vatican.
The referral follows a 2019 change in church law that governs how claims of abuse against bishops are handled, according to Terrance Dillon, a spokesman for the archdiocese.
The 2019 change to Church law calls for an archbishop to investigate allegations of abuse by a bishop. The archbishop is supposed to make regular updates to the Vatican, and then render a final report and recommendations.
It was unclear from Dillon’s email how far the process has gone.
Libasci’s attorney, Michael J. Connolly of Boston, said the bishop has not been informed of an investigation, “but once he is, he plans to fully cooperate. He has absolutely nothing to hide.”
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