The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-07-16
AUDIENCE WITH LEO
Mgr. F. Z. Rocker Describes the
Holy Father as He Saw Him.
HIS PAoB LIKE CRAVEN MARBLE.

The bishop Of Jaro, Philippine Is
lands, who Was In Rome a Few
Weeks Ago, Says Leo VII. Seemed
the same Great Mind Incased In
It's Little Frame Of FIesh--Incident
of HIS Memory and Comprehensive
sweep Of Intellect.
4 Mgr r. 2. Rocker, bishop Of faro,
Philippine Islands, and for eight and
half years secretary Of the apostolic
delegation at Washington, returned
from Rome a few days ago. On June
is he had q private audience with
Leo XIII. and on June % saw him
at the consistory. He left Rome on
June 20 and consequently las a later
and more vivid impression Of the pope
than any American who has recently
seen him. Indeed it is probable that
Mgr. Rocker was one of the last
Americans, if not the very last, to have
private audience with the pope, says
the New York World.
when / arrived ait quarantine" said
Mgr. Rocker, Il was greatly shocked
TO hear that the pope was In extremis.
/ had heard at Paris before l sailed
that he was i'll, but at that time it
seemed no more than an indisposition.
The news was particularly sad to me,
because / had just come from Rome,
where saw the pope twice. once pri-
Yately and once at the consistory, and
/ 1t seemed to me that he was destined
to live long
Mgr Rocker was called to Rome for
instruction in the new duties to which
the pope has assigned him. The pope
chose Mgr. Rocker and Mgr Dougher-
ty OF Philadelphia as bishops for the
Philippines. Mgr. Rocker went to
Rome two months ago to study the
Philippine question as related to the
Roman Catholic church and to fit him
self for his new duties. He first saw
the pope twenty years ago. When he
was appointed secretary to the apos-
toHc delegation, eight and a half years
ago, he had several audiences with the
pope.
con June is, says Mgr. Rocker, II
had my last private audience with the
pope. | say private because 1t was.
although Mgr. Dougherty of Phila-
delphia went In at the same time. We
were alone with the holy father
"0ur appointment was for IL o'clock
noon, and we arrived at 1870. Some
body was with the pope then, and we
sat In the anteroom awaiting our time
Shortly before Y o'clock Mgr Riggi,
project Of the ponhfcal ceremonies.
went into the room where the pope was
sitting. He stayed but q moment. He
was followed by Bisleti the chamber
lain He, too. stayed not longer than
thirty seconds. Then the door swung
open, ana Bisleti beckoned to Dough
erty and myself to enter.
II mention these details because they
are necessary to show there was no
coaching by these dignitaries and to
emphasize the marvellous knowledge Of
detail the pope has concerning the af-
5airs and people Of the church.
"Bisleti stood BY the door ais we en-
tered No one else was in the room
besides the pope, who was sitting by
table IN the center Of the room and in
food of sunlight that fell from one
of the great windows l had not seen
him for more than eight years. I OBJ
served him closely as we advanced. He
had not changed particle in that
time. His face always appeared as II
1t had been carved out Of translucent
Carrara marble. It had that look then.
His frail body was clothed in his robes
Of office, and be wore his white cap.
He was motionless, apparently in pro
found meditation As we reached him
he turned his eyes on me. They are
marvellous eyes deep, luminous and
sull Of FIRE They seemed to burn
under that broad, pale brow.
"The presentations were made. All,
yes said the pope; Rocker has been
our secretary at Washington for the
last eight years Then, patting the
palm Of his left hand with the first
finger Of his right, as If to count, he
continued, He has served there with
satolli, with Alartinelli and with
with
"He hesitated a moment With Fal-
COMO, too, holy father prompted.
YES, yes, he said, with Falconio
too.
when he said my name he pro
nounced it correctly. That amazed me.
Eight years before be had given it the
italian pronunciation, the double %
and pronouncing it Rowker.' He had
been corrected then and told that the
io's were short He remembered, al
though to this day Rampolla and the
others all call me 'Rowker.
"That is a little thing but It shows
the character Of the mind, the com
lprehensive sweep Of the intellect OF this
wonderful man. Corrected in so insig
nifcant thing as the pronunciation
of the name Of a humble worker in
the church, he had remembered for
eight years and had spoken the name
correctly the first time.
Greetings over the pope spoke to
Dougherty and myself for fifteen min
utes IN Italian. lie gave us an ex-
hortatlon on our new duties in the
Philippines. He began with the state
ment that he had sent for both Of US