Cardinal-Priest of S. Angelo in Pescheria (1566–1570)
Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria in Trastevere (1570–1573)
Cardinal-Bishop of Albano (1573–1574)
Coat of arms
Scipione Rebiba (3 February 1504 – 23 July 1577) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, a protégé of Gian Pietro Carafa, who became Pope Paul IV. He held a variety of positions in the Church hierarchy, including some of the most senior. He introduced the Inquisition to Naples in the 1550s and became a cardinal in 1555. He is mostly known today for having been the earliest bishop to whom most Roman Catholic bishops can trace their apostolic succession, as it is unknown who consecrated Rebiba.[citation needed]
Scipione Rebiba was born on 3 February 1504 in the village of San Marco d'Alunzio, in Sicily. He studied in Palermo and enjoyed a benefice in the Church of S. Maria dei Miracoli.[1]
On 22 February 1549, Pope Paul III named Carafa Archbishop of Naples, but Emperor Charles V prevented him from taking possession of that see until July 1551. Carafa, who was active in Rome as one of the six cardinals of the Roman Inquisition (1542–1555), appointed Rebiba as his vicar to administer the diocese on his behalf. Rebiba was also promoted from auxiliary and on 12 October 1551 made Bishop of Motula,[2] a see in the Kingdom of Naples. With the full support of the head of the Inquisition in Rome, Rebiba introduced the Roman Inquisition into Naples and was granted the office of Commissary of the Roman Inquisition.[3]
Carafa was elected pope on 23 May 1555 and named Rebiba Governor of Rome on 5 July.[4] He served only a few months, until the next consistory for the elevation of cardinals on 20 December, where he was made a cardinal.[5][a]
In 13 April 1556, Paul IV appointed Rebiba Archbishop of Pisa and Rebiba took possession of that see on 29 April 1556.[5]
In 1557, Cardinal Giovanni Morone was arrested and imprisoned on orders of Paul IV. He was charged with heresy and dealing with Lutherans. Paul IV appointed Rebiba to a committee of five cardinals to examine Morone. They found Morone innocent,[8] but Pope Paul issued a bull rejecting the committee's findings[9] and Morone was kept in prison until, after the pope's death in 1559, the College of Cardinals ordered his release.[10][11]
In 1559, the newly elected Pope Pius IV authorized the arrest of persons accused of various crimes during the administration of Paul IV, including his predecessor's nephew Cardinal Carlo Carafa and Rebiba, who were imprisoned in Castel San Angelo. Rebiba was eventually released, Carafa was strangled on the order of Pius IV on 4 March 1561.[12]
Rebiba died in Rome on 23 July 1577 and was interred in the Church of S. Silvestro on the Quirinal. At the time of his death he was Prefect of the Office of the Holy Inquisition.[19] His memorial monument describes him as "Inquisitor into heretical depravity, a most fierce fighter for the orthodox faith".[20]
Since there are no records of who consecrated him, most Roman Catholic bishops can trace their episcopal lineage only as far back as Rebiba.[23][24]
Although there is no knowledge of who consecrated Rebiba as Bishop, records[which?] indicate that it was done 14 May, 1541.[25] It has been speculated the records pertaining to his episcopal consecration and those immediately preceding him in office were destroyed in a fire in Chieti, the city east of Rome where Rebiba first became auxiliary bishop.[26]
Notes
^He was initially assigned the Church of S. Pudenziana as his titular church which he held until 7 February 1565, when he was translated to the Church of S. Anastasia.[6][7] The assignment of titular churches was significant for the prestige of a particular church as well as the income made available to the title holder.
^Since the church had the rank of a deaconry, it was temporarily raised to the rank of a titular church for a cardinal priest. His relationship with that church lasted until 3 July 1570, when he opted for the title of Santa Maria in Trastevere.[15]
References
^Lorenzo Cardella, Memorie de' Cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa, IV (Roma 1793), p. 347.
^G. Gulik and C. Eubel, Hierarchia catholica editio altera (curavit J. Schmitz-Kallenberg) (Monasterii 1935), 251.
^H. C. Lea, The Inquisition in its Spanish Dependencies (New York 1922), p. 78.
^Niccolò del Re, Monsignor Governatore di Roma (Roma: Istituto di studi Romani 1972), 60, 84–85.
^Gaetano Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica Volume 56 (Venezia 1852), p.265. George Duruy, Le Cardinal Carlo Carafa (1519–1561): Étude sur le Pontificat de Paul IV (Paris 1882), pp. 304, 308–314. Francesco Sforza Pallavicino, Relazione della morte del Card.e D. Carlo Caraffa nipote di Papa Paolo Quarto strangolato in Castel S. Angelo p(er) ordine di Papa Pio Quarto, descritta dal Card.e Pallavicino (ms. Vat. Lat. 8665) [Vincenzo Forcella, Catalogo dei manoscritti relativi alla storia di Roma I (Roma 1879), p. 242 no. 677]
Basilio Rinaudo and Salvatore Miracola, Il cardinale Scipione Rebiba (1504–1577). Vita e azione pastorale di un vescovo riformatore, L'Ascesa, Patti 2007. ISBN978-88-903039-0-6.
