Tim Fischer was a good ambassador, but not so good with history.

There are some days when I think "oh why bother?"  Another bizarre claim or statement about Pius XII surfaces and the merry-go-round starts another cycle of claim - counter-claim - refutation - decline - forgotten and so on.  This morning The Sydney Morning Herald reported the book launch of Holy See Unholy Me by Australia's former ambassador to the Holy See, Tim Fischer.  I was alerted to it with an early morning email from New York, from a colleague who would probably qualify as one of the "New York Jewish lobby" that Fischer referred to in his comments.

Mr Fischer is still widely regarded with considerable affection in this country for his integrity and decency as a deputy Prime Minister between 1996 and 1999.  He served in Vietnam in the Royal Australian Regiment which was followed by several decades in public life as a member of the National Party of Australia, holding the seat of Farrer from 1984 to 2001.  He was appointed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to the position of Australian ambassador to the Holy See where he served with distinction between 2008 and 2012.

However, despite a Jesuit education at Xavier College in Melbourne, Fischer does not have a sound grasp or appreciation of history, least of all the history of the papacy during World War Two and the situation that confronted Italian and Roman Jewry in 1943.

I read the article with equal parts of interest and amazement.  There are occasions when I believe it is the better part of good public speaking to avoid entering conversations or answering questions when you are not fully in charge of the facts.  I think yesterday's launch was one such occasion.  

Citing the now long-refuted numbers concocted by Pinchas Lapide is not a good strategy.  Nor is making implications that "New York Jewish lobby", whatever that it is, attempts to influence Vatican policy through loud and "shrill" statements.  Some of Fischer's comments bordered on thinly-veiled Antisemitism; the direct reference to Australian-born Mark Regev was not positive.  From a man who was known for his consistent moral positions in the Commonwealth parliament, this is disturbing.  I can only hope that the man was misquoted, or at least quoted out of context.  And I hope he issues a clarifying statement or apology.

I will leave the reader to make up their minds.  

******************

The New York Jewish lobby has unfairly blackened the name of World War II pope Pius XII in the interests of a modern political agenda and needs to be challenged, former Australian deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer has charged.

Pius has been criticised for not doing enough to protect Jews during the Holocaust, but Mr Fischer argues in a book launched in Melbourne on Friday that he did save Jews "and gets zero credit".

Mr Fischer, Australian ambassador to the Holy See for three years from 2008, told Fairfax Media the Jewish lobby needed momentum and profile and had become increasingly shrill in condemning Pius XII.

In fact, according to Mr Fischer, Pius instructed Catholics to help Jews, hiding hundreds in convents, monasteries and the Vatican. The Nazis rounded up 1002 of Rome's 8000 Jews in 1943 and sent them to Auschwitz, but the other 7000 were saved.

In the book, Holy See, Unholy Me: 1000 Days in Rome, Mr Fischer says an Israeli ambassador who called for a recognition of the live-saving work of Pius XII was quickly forced into a humiliating backdown.

"Further, the moment any suggestion is made to consider Pius XII for beatification and sainthood, they hit out at close to full power and use all media avenues to stamp it out."

Reports from the Vatican this week suggest Pope Francis wants to move ahead with canonising Pius.

Identifying Melbourne-educated Israeli spokesman Mark Regev as a key figure, Mr Fischer writes that the Jewish lobby's media skills far outweigh the Vatican's and suggests the tactics "are about representing a cause and maintaining influence and power.

"The American Jewish lobby is run by hardliners who get their daily feed from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and will cut no slack in terms of Israel's policies in the West Bank."

Mr Fischer says the biggest disaster for Rome's war-time Jewish community was the split between pro and anti-Fascist factions. "That broke down the unity when it was most needed, as the Nazis rolled into Rome. The Fascist Jews said nothing would happen."

The chief rabbi, Israel Zolli, an anti-Fascist, warned the community that it must get ready, for example hiding synagogue lists. After the war Rabbi Zolli converted to Catholicism, and "with that he got totally airbrushed out of history".

"The Rabbi of Rome and the Bishop of Rome both saved thousands of Jewish lives, and deserve fairer assessment," Mr Fischer said.

He said he expected a backlash against his comments, but hoped fair-minded people would read the book.

He conceded there was evidence of a Croatian Catholic pipeline through which Nazis escaped after the war, and said that if Pius knew about it he should be "pinged" for it.

Tim Fischer