The saying "All roads lead to Rome" is said to have originated in the third century B.C. when all major roads in the Roman Empire led to Rome. When speaking of Roman rite episcopal lineages in the 21st century, one could modify this saying to "Almost all roads lead to Rebiba."

More than 95 percent of the almost 5,600 bishops alive today trace their episcopal lineages to Scipione Rebiba, who was ordained a bishop in 1541. The Rebiban lineage has been the dominant lineage in the Roman rite for approximately 200 years.

When speaking of the episcopal lineages of Boston's 10 diocesan bishops, we find that all trace their lineages to Rebiba in 1541 and they all continue forward to 1666 and Cardinal Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni.

From Cardinal Paluzzi Altieri, the bishops and archbishops of Boston branch out in different directions. Five of them have Archbishop John Carroll of Baltimore in their lineages: Bishops Lefebvre de Cheverus, Fenwick, and Fitzpatrick, Archbishop Williams, and Cardinal Law. Cardinals O'Connell and Cushing share the lineage of Archbishop, later Cardinal, Francesco Satolli, Apostolic Delegate to the United States of America.

Cardinal Medeiros, who was ordained a bishop by Bishop James L. Connolly of Fall River, has another Apostolic Delegate to the United States, Archbishop, and later Cardinal, Giovanni Vincenzo Bonzano and the well-known Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, in his lineage.

The lineage of Cardinal O'Malley has yet another Apostolic Delegate to the United States in his lineage, Archbishop, and later Cardinal, Amleto Giovanni Cicognani.

Archbishop Henning, who was ordained a bishop by Bishop John O. Barres of Rockville Centre, has Pope St. John Paul II in his lineage. St. Jozef Bilczewski of Lviv, a diocese then in Poland and now in Ukraine, and one of his co-ordaining bishops, Bishop St. Jozef Sebastian Pelczar, are also found in Archbishop Henning's lineage.

It is hoped that in the not-too-distant future the bishop who conferred episcopal ordination on Scipione Rebiba will be discovered.