Scipione Cardinal Rebiba,
16th Century Catholic Cardinal of Rome
His Eminence the Most Reverend Lord Scipione Cardinal Rebiba was born in the village of San Marco d'Alunzio, in Sicily in February of 1504 a.d. Over the course of his years of service to the Lord's Church of Rome, His Eminence held numerous episcopal appointments. He was appointed titular Bishop of Amyclae (a suffragan bishop of Patras) by Pope Paul III on March of 1541 a.d. on the recommendation of Bishop Gian Pietro Carafa in order to serve as Bishop Carafa's auxiliary bishop in the diocese of Chieti. Two months later he was made Titular Bishop of Amyclae. In October of 1551 ad His Eminence was appointed Bishop of Mottola (Motula), Italy. Six years later he was appointed Metropolitan and Archbishop of Pisa, Italy by Pope Paul IV.
On the 19th of June, 1560 a.d., he was appointed Archbishop (Personal Title) of Troia, Italy, but resigned from this position several months later.
In December of 1555 a.d., His Excellency was created a Cardinal. He was installed as Cardinal-Priest of Santa Pudenziana in January of 1556 a.d. at the age of 51, made Cardinal-Priest of Sant’ Anastasia in February of 1565 ad at the age of 61. On December 8th of this same year, he was appointed the 49th Titular Latin Patriarch of Constantinople (which he resigned from in 1573 ad). His Eminence was made Cardinal-Priest of Sant’ Angelo in Pescheria in October the next year at the age of 62, in July of 1570 a.d. made Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere at the age of 66, in April of 1573 a.d. appointed Cardinal-Bishop of Albano, and finally appointed on May 1575 a.d. at the age of 70 as Cardinal-Bishop of Sabina. As a Cardinal, Rebiba participated in three Papal Conclaves: one in 1559 with the election of Pope Pius IV, one in 1565/1566 with the election of Pope Pius V, and one in 1572 with the election of Pope Gregory XIII.
In 1557 ad, His Eminence was selected as one of seven Cardinals by Pope Paul IV to take part in a Tribunal to question Cardinal Giovanni Morone for a long list of charges, the most severe of them were heresy and dealings with Lutherans. The committee found the Cardinal not guilty, but the Pope refused to release him. Cardinal Rebiba and the rest of the College of Cardinals released him afterthe death of the Pope in 1559 a.d. Most unfortunately however, when Pope Pius IV was elected in 1559 a.d., His Eminence Rebiba and a few other Cardinals were imprisoned for "crimes committed" during the reign of Paul IV. he would be released, but another of his colleagues would die in prison by strangulation.
On the 23rd of July, 1577 ad, at the age of 73, Cardinal died as the Cardinal-Bishop of Sabina, having served the Lord's Church as bishop for 36 years and a Cardinal of Rome for 21 and a half years. His memorial monument lauds him as "'Inquisitor Into Heretical Depravity, A Most Fierce Fighter For The Orthodox Faith". His Eminence Cardinal Rebiba was the chief consecrator of 23 bishops, archbishops and cardinals, and co-consecrator of two bishops. Because of Popes like Pope Benedict XIII and Pope John Paul the Great who all consecrated Bishops at high volume and are in the line of succession of Cardinal Rebiba, currently, over 95% of the New World's and more than 5,200 Roman Catholic bishops alive today and almost all Old Catholic and Independent Catholic Bishops trace their episcopal lineage back to Cardinal Rebiba. This includes the latest Popes of Rome.
Holding hands from consecration to consecration down through the generations of Church history and the ministry of the All-Holy Spirit, the United Holy Caribbean Apostolic Church shares in the historic apostolic succession and grace filled ministry of Cardinal Rebiba by way of the teachings and episcopal ministry and lineage of the Old Catholic Churches, Brazilian Catholic Churches, and the Church of Rome who have passed on his succession with power and faithfulness.