 In specific riposte to Cornwell 's criticism , American Rabbi and historian , David Dalin , published The Myth of Hitler 's Pope : How Pope Pius XII Rescued Jews from the Nazis in 2005 . He reaffirmed previous accounts of Pius having been a saviour of thousands of Europe 's Jews . In a review of the book , another Jewish scholar — Churchill biographer , Martin Gilbert — wrote that Dalin 's work was " an essential contribution to our understanding of the reality of Pope Pius XII 's support for Jews at their time of greatest danger . Hopefully , his account will replace the divisively harmful version of papal neglect , and even collaboration , that has held the field for far too long " . Dalin 's book also argued that Cornwell and others were liberal Catholics and ex @-@ Catholics who " exploit the tragedy of the Jewish people during the Holocaust to foster their own political agenda of forcing changes on the Catholic Church today " and that Pius XII was responsible for saving the lives of many thousands of Jews . 
