Deafening silence

Stillness surrounds the appointment of John McCarthy QC as Australian Ambassador to the Holy See … Silence from DFAT … The great man himself has gone to ground … Happy news withdrawn from bar website … Why all the mystery? 

McCarthy: mysterious delay

A cone of silence has descended on the exciting news that Sydney silk John McCarthy is to be dispatched by his old chum, Foreign Minister Bob Carr, to become Ambassador to the Holy See. 

The Vatican job traditionally is a bit of a doozy for mates and party hacks. 

The post recently was vacated by good old National Party boy Tim Fischer. McCarthy has been a consigliere of Carr's ever since the two were in short pants, a big wheel on the senate of Sydney University, one of the Labor faithful and a devoted church man.  

Carr was five minutes into the gig as Foreign Minister before the story about McCarthy's appointment flashed around the press gallery. 

Michalle Grattan at The Age had it and it was also picked up by Channel 9, and others. 

Faithfully the bar 'n' grill's In Brief service reported the exciting development - then all of a sudden the shutters came down with a deafening silence. 

The bar removed the item from its web site, cryptically saying on March 28 … 

"Correction regarding appointment of McCarthy QC

In Brief has just published a report to the effect that John McCarthy QC has been appointed ambassador to the Vatican. This is incorrect. Contrary to media speculation, there has been no official announcement. In Brief regrets any confusion this may have caused." 

Someone much have got in touch with someone to pull the story.

Of course, it just added to the confusion. Was it incorrect that McCarthy had been appointed to the Holy of Holies? Or was it just the lack of an official announcement? 

We asked the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra and one of the media muffins was nervously unhelpful. 

An appointment as such was not denied, just that she didn't want to say anything and the nothing she said was to be used only as background. 

The last announced diplomatic appointment was the Australian ambassador to Pakistan, on April 7. 

The helpless flack pointed us to the department's website and said that we could see there had been no appointment to the Vatican, not did she know when one would be made. 

We rushed to clarify things with the the prospective appointee himself, but he did not reply to our email missive or return our phone call. McCarthy had gone to ground. 

I do hope nothing has gone wrong with this most important posting. The whole thing is as mysterious as the Vatican itself.