Who Is The Patron Saint of Computers?
In 1997 Pope John Paul II declared Isidore of Seville the patron saint of the internet.
Often cited to be the patron saint of the internet and computers, Saint Isidore of Seville was renowned for his accomplishments in culture and learning. Isidore of Seville was born in sixth century Spain into a family of saints, including his brothers Fulgentius and Leander and sister Florentina. Educated by his elder brother Leander, whom he later went on to succeed as the Bishop of Seville, he was an incredibly learned man.
In 1997 Pope John Paul II declared Isidore of Seville the patron saint of the internet. Saint Isidore died in the year 636, long before the first host-to-host ARPANET connection in 1969. But Isidore did try to record everything ever known in an encyclopedia that was ultimately published after his death.
The Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages
Saint Isidore of Seville was often referred to as “The Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages” as he had a devotion to learning and educating others. Brilliant in literary pursuits, Saint Isidore of Seville wrote books on grammar, theology, biography and history through to astronomy. He wrote an encyclopaedia of knowledge, known as the Etymologies, which was used over the next nine centuries as a textbook, along with many other amazing literary achievements which included: writing a dictionary, a history of the Goths, a rule for religious orders, as well as a history of the world. Isidore also wrote the Mozarabic liturgy, which can still be found in Toledo, Spain, and is still used today.
Building of seminaries and schools
One of Saint Isidore of Seville’s many accomplishments was having seminaries built in every diocese. He also founded many schools in which all branches of learning were taught.
Bishop of Seville
After succeeding his brother Leander and becoming Bishop of Seville, a position he was to hold for 37 years, Isidore was focused on using his position in the church to help direct Spain in a different political direction. He introduced a model for representative government in Europe, which opposed autocratic decision making and instead organised synods whose role it was to discuss the government of the Spanish Church.
Charitable deeds for the poor
Up until he died, just before his 80th birthday, St Isidore of Seville provided aid to the poor.
Based on his many revolutionary advancements in Spain, Saint Isidore of Seville became renowned as the patron saint of the internet and computers.
In the Roman Catholic Church, Saint Isidore is the patron saint of computers and their users, programmers, repair people, as well as the internet as a whole. So the next time you’re faced with a computer problem or website support issue, of such magnitude as to require a miracle to fix it, Isidore is on it.
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