Under what authority was Fr. Frank Pavone defrocked?

A story [broke recently](https://www.ncregister.com/cna/breaking-vatican-dismisses-father-frank-pavone-from-priesthood) that Fr. Frank Pavone, a priest (forever like Melchizedec of old, but apparently no longer in the eyes of the Catholic Church) who ran/runs an organization called priests for life (although he was the only member of the clergy I'd ever seen officially associated with the organization) was laicized with only “blasphemous communications on social media” and “persistent disobedience of lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop,” being used as the explanations. There's quite a bit of Internet whataboutism going on here with regard to dissident priests of a liberal bent so I'm wondering what authority would be required for his dismissal. The Catholic Register says [only the pope can do it](https://www.ncregister.com/cna/canon-lawyer-on-father-pavone-s-dismissal-from-priesthood-only-the-pope-can-issue-a-decision-without-appeal) but I'm asking if the authority can be transferred to a nuncio or a bishop under the authority of the Pope or if it's the Pope himself.