FONCK, LEOPOLD. - Exegete, b. at Wissen (Ger-
many) on 14 Jan. 1865, d. at Vienna on 19 Oct. 1930.
Having completed his secondary and high-school studies at Kempen,
he was sent to the German-Hungarian College in Rome,
where, from 1883 to 1890, he pursued philosophical and theological
studies at the Gregorian University, taking degrees in both
faculties. In 1892 he entered the Society of Jesus.
Assigned to biblical teaching, he undertook special studies
in Egypt and Palestine in 1895-96,
then, from 1896 until 1899, at the Universities of Ber-
lin and Munich. In 1901 he was appointed pro-
fessor of Sacred Scripture in the theological Faculty at
Innsbruck, and in 1908 at the Gregorian University in
Rome.
In 1909 Pius X entrusted him with organizing the
Pontifical Biblical Institute (v. ISTITUT), which the Pope in-
tended to found, and he became its first rector. He fulfilled
the task with great organizational talent and sound, modern
principles. In 1915-19, compelled by the war
to leave Rome, he resided in Switzerland; thereafter he continued
teaching at the Biblical Institute until 1929. As a pro-
fessor and writer Fr. F. distinguished himself by clarity, thorough
knowledge of the problems, and great zeal for the purity of
doctrine. Three of his most important works enjoyed wide
circulation in Italy: Il metodo del lavoro scientifico (Italian
trans., Rome 1907); I miracoli del Signore (Italian trans., ibid. 1916);
Le parabole del Signore (Italian trans., ibid. 1924).
BIBLI: L. F. S. J., in Biblica, 11 (1930), pp. 369-72 (with
bibl.); U. Holmester, F. L., in DBs, III, cols. 310-12.