MacLeish said he was disappointed that Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley had not issued a public statement saying whether he felt the men's claims were credible.
"If the church thinks this is credible and serious, they have an obligation to speak and say something," MacLeish said. "Silence and secrecy is what got this church in trouble in the first place."
But the Rev. Christopher J. Coyne, the archdiocese's spokesman, said officials would not comment on the allegations.
"We only agreed to meet with the alleged victim," he said. "We don't have jurisdiction over this matter. We wouldn't draw any conclusions and issue a statement."
MacLeish is also trying to get the Springfield Diocese to seize computers used in Dupre's office during 2002, when he says the bishop was sent an e-mail detailing the abuse allegations.
MacLeish said many e-mails meant for Dupre first went to Mark E. Dupont, the diocese's spokesman.
"We know the bishop wasn't an e-mail user," MacLeish said. "His e-mails were reviewed before he saw them. I have no information at all to say Dupont saw the e-mail that was sent in 2002. I just know what the procedure was."
Dupont said he would sometimes receive e-mails that were meant for the bishop and other employees at the diocese.
"I quickly forwarded all e-mails to who they were meant for," he said.
Dupont would not say whether he ever received an e-mail detailing abuse allegations against Dupre.
"I have discussed this fully with the district attorney's office regarding how I handled e-mail," Dupre said. "I'm not sure they would want me discussing any of those details."
Bennett would not comment on the matter yesterday.
"We're still in the process of investigating the case," he said.
Dupre stepped down earlier this month, citing health reasons. His retirement was approved by the Vatican a day after The Republican newspaper of Springfield presented Dupre with the abuse allegations.
The two alleged victims say Dupre abused them repeatedly beginning in the 1970s, when the cleric was a parish priest.
Dupre's lawyer has refused to comment on the allegations.
MacLeish said other clerics or employees at the diocese or the Boston Archdiocese probably knew about the allegations before Dupre retired.
"I continue to believe the Springfield Diocese has information they haven't conveyed," MacLeish said. "I don't think the bishop just packed up and left without any explanation. I find that inconceivable. He would have had to provide his superiors with info about the reason why he was resigning."
Springfield Diocese officials have said they knew nothing about the allegations until they were published by The Republican.
