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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

A heroic Vatican priest who saved Jews from the Nazis -- New book tells amazing story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty - VIDEO

Posted on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 at 08:14 AM

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Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty

Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty may be one of the greatest Irish men who ever lived, yet his story is hardly known.

Growing up in Ireland I never heard his tale, but I suspect I know why. He was the heroic Monsignor, based in the Vatican, who saved thousands of Allied soldiers from the Nazis and also saved hundreds of Jews from the death camps.

Perhaps because he was helping the British in the war effort his story drew a veil of silence in Ireland but it should not have. World War II was a time for people of all backgrounds to choose sides
between a monstrous evil and a force to battle that evil.

A new book I have just finished reading outlines in great detail the heroic and extraordinary efforts of a great humanitarian and Irish history.

The book is entitled “Hide and Seek” The Irish priest in the Vatican who defied the Nazi command by BBC journalist, Stephen Walker.

Though an intensely proud Irishman and deeply nationalist after seeing the Black and Tans in operation during his years in the seminary, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty realized early on that he needed to be
on the side of the good guys.

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That contrasted sharply with the position taken by Pope Pius XII who dithered while the Nazis over ran Europe.

Flaherty organized the escape route for allied troops who had escaped POW camps or had been shot down but survived.

Through an incredibly close network of friends and confidantes he set up safe houses all over Rome and in the Vatican itself where his work soon drew grave suspicion from the Nazis.

The book is a fascinating account of the stand off between Flaherty and the head SS man in Rome, Herbert Kappler.

Kappler suspected O’Flaherty and had him under surveillance at all times. O’Flaherty comes across as a Michael Collins however, hiding in plain sight, appearing each morning on the steps of Saint Peter's and meeting with those who were organizing the freedom runs.

He helped everyone who sought refuge, including many Jews, which infuriated Kappler. The SS commander tried to have O’Flaherty kidnapped with a view to summary execution but somehow O’Flaherty always managed to survive, earning him the nickname of the “Scarlet Pimpernel”.

Once, having left the neutral confines of the Vatican for a freedom route meeting, the Nazis raided the house and O’Flaherty, who was hiding in the cellar, was saved by sheer luck when two coal-men came to drop their supplies and he “borrowed” one of their outfits and strolled past the SS wearing the outfit and carrying a sack.

After the war he was celebrated all over the world but refused most of the honors. Kappler was tried and found guilty of war crimes. Amazingly O’Flaherty visited him frequently in prison and Kappler converted to Catholicism. O’Flaherty retired to his native Kerry for his final days and passed away there in 1963.

In a poem to celebrate his life, poet and fellow Kerry man Brendan Kennelly wrote of O'Flaherty:

"There is a tree called freedom and it grows
Somewhere in the hearts of men
Rain falls, ice freezes, wind blows
The tree shivers, steadies itself again."

The Israeli government planted a tree in his honor in 1973.

Was there ever a more courageous Irishman?

A clip from "Scarlet and the Black". The true story of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty:

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21 comments

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glounlathan | May 31, 2012, 09:57 PM EDT

There were many Protestants and Catholics in power all over the world and in both camps many were far from Christian. Cut the petty crap and appreciate the good everywhere. Yes, I did hear of Mon. Flaherty but it was not in school. Oliver Cromwell was one of the worst people who ever hit Ireland, but names like Generals Kearney, Sheidan, and Meagher were not any better in the eyes of the Native Americans. On the otherhand I would bet that not too many young protestants in Northern Ireland were told that it was the Catholic Royal Dutch Guard who turned the tide at the Boyne for William. Get rid of the crap and let the facts breathe.

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89west | May 31, 2012, 05:59 PM EDT

Oh Canada.......what is with you, I can't find were you praised anyone. If you find my comments about English Protestantism to be hateful, then you have failed to understand the political and social histories of her colonies. Besides being able to outfox the axis, Fr. Hugh O'F could hold his own on the links with the best of them. Truly, a multi-talented man and if need be, he could forgive your sins!

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ProudCanadian | May 31, 2012, 11:39 AM EDT

89, here I am praising one of you own and you are cutting me down. Who is hating now?

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BulldogMania | May 31, 2012, 10:58 AM EDT

This story is well known in Catholic circles. It's not been widely reported because it doesn't fit the party line of the liberals and haters that the Church and Pius XII were in bed with the Nazis. Remember the liberals never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

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89west | May 31, 2012, 07:24 AM EDT

Your comprehension level is slipping again. Men and women of the cloth is a neutral and religious free statement. Is it not? Why then must you inject this comment. While your at it, why didn't you also include a statement about those wonderful canucks. Seeing as you brought the subject up, I to would also like to hark back to some influential protestants that made a lasting impression on Ireland. Among them would be ollie cromwell, the chicken farmer, henry 8 and lizzy 1, and in more recent time the rev. ian paisley.

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ProudCanadian | May 30, 2012, 11:37 PM EDT

Lots of great Protestants have done the same 89.

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Nicoletta | May 30, 2012, 11:25 PM EDT

Loved the film 'Scarlet and Black.' What a wonderful priest!

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89west | May 30, 2012, 09:31 PM EDT

Canada.....down through the ages, there are literally, thousands of men and women of the cloth who have faithfully, served both their church and mankind and went to their reward unknown to all but their maker. Msgr. O Flaithbheartaigh being the exception, is buried in the Daniel O'Connell Memorial Church churchyard in Cahirsiveen, County Kerry RIP

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glounlathan | May 30, 2012, 08:14 PM EDT

This man's father as far as I recollect was an RIC policeman in the small village of Boherbue in Co. Cork, Ireland for sometime. That might be one reason we did not hear of him in the comic book histories of the Nationl School system in Ireland. Remember Michael Collins was kept out of history too for many years and only for people like Frank O'Connor his resaurrection to his place in history would have been further delayed. Again this is when we find out whether so called historians are bigots or true historians who at least try to approach history as a science. I do not believe in Royalty myself but propaganda at the hands of either Royalist or Republician is not history----the Irish history that was told after the second world war was in many ways an insult to all the people of Ireland.

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mairint | May 30, 2012, 07:20 PM EDT

Thank God there are readers of Irish Central who actually know the truthful side of heroic Venerable Pope Pius XII and the enormous work he did to save thousands of Jews from the Nazi's. It amazes me that there are still Catholic bashers (Will Hamilton? Lord protect us!)out there who never check their facts or seek the truth before spouting off. They rather go with the left over scraps of lies written by English anti-Catholics. Even my young grandchildren here in Australia can tell you what the Pope and Mons. O'Flaherty did to save our Jewish brothers and sisters. I suggest readers also get the movie 'The Assisi Underground' starring James Mason,Maximilian Schell, Ben Cross. Google it. The young cyclist courier in the movie actually went on post war to cycle internationally for Italy. No wonder the then Chief Rabbi of Rome converted to Catholicism and even took the Pope's name, Eugenio, for his Confirmation. We pray for the Beatification of Pope Pius XII and Mons. O'Flaherty. Hero's both.

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Will Hamilton | May 30, 2012, 03:20 PM EDT

Such sham attempts at using an O'Flaherty Day-Glo sticking plaster in an attempt to distract from the gangrene eating the body. The Roman Catholic network spirited Nazis to Catholic Countries across the globe. It was Rome that signed a concordat with Hitler. It was Rome that bred hatred of the Jews into the European mentality over centuries thereby creating a centuries long holocaust of which the gas chambers were the highest peak on that landscape. If Mr O'Flaherty was such a good Irishman he wouldn't have been working for a foreign state in Italy.

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IrishAndProud | May 30, 2012, 03:14 PM EDT

Saving others from murder is one of the greatest things a person can do. This man deserves all the recognition he can get, for this. (In a totally unrelated aside, doesn't he look like the actor Karl Malden? That would have been a great choice to portray him, if a movie had been made of this.)

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ciaradexy | May 30, 2012, 03:12 PM EDT

Cillowen, what have YOU done for your own?

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slainte9 | May 30, 2012, 02:00 PM EDT

"That contrasted sharply with the position taken by Pope Pius XII who dithered while the Nazis over ran Europe." I realize that Niall is an expert on German history. But my recollection is that it was a Protestant country. After WWII the Catholic minority had some influence in the government, but the left refused to cooperate with them in stopping Hitler. Remarkable the Marxists thought they'd be pieces after Hitler flopped. Hilter assassinated the most outspoken of the Catholic leaders in Germany. That the Pope had any leverage with the Germans is just another British canard, dreamed up to cover up their own failure to stop the Nazis, which would have been easy for them to do if they'd hadn't have sat on their hands while the Nazis were weak.

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brennanirish | May 30, 2012, 01:53 PM EDT

NIALL, I AGREE WITH SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU MISSED THE MARK ON YOUR REFERENCE TO POPE PIUS XII. MANY HAVE PERSISTED IN FORWARDING THE DECEPTIVE NARRATIVE ABOUT THE MAN. THEY HAVE BEEN PROVEN WRONG. THE AUTHOR OF, "HITLERS POPE" EVEN RECANTED WHAT HE WROTE ABOUT HIM. COULD HE HAVE DONE MORE? A DIFFERENT QUESTION, BUT HE DID MORE THAN MOST.

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