Why Is St Isidore of Seville Patron Saint of the Internet?

St Isidore, "the last scholar of the ancient world", was the Wikipedia of his day. His Etymologies were a compendium of all known knowledge of the world in the 7th century.

From Aleteia

By Philip Kosloski

St Isidore may seem like a strange choice, having lived in the 7th century, but his academic works make him a perfect fit for the Internet.

It may seem strange that a 7th-century saint was chosen as the patron saint of the Internet, but after a careful examination of his life, St. Isidore of Seville turns out to be the perfect choice.

Isidore (not to be confused with St. Isidore the Farmer), was the Archbishop of Seville during the 7th century. He was a great scholar whose encyclopedic knowledge was far reaching.

Encyclopedia

Before his death, Isidore wrote a collection of books called Etymologiae, which, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, was "a vast storehouse in which is gathered, systematized, and condensed, all the learning possessed by his time. Throughout the greater part of the Middle Ages it was the textbook most in use in educational institutions."

Interestingly enough, Isidore did not contain himself to only theological topics, but successfully collected information on all subjects, both secular and religious. Pope Benedict XVI explained in a General Audience, "The wealth of cultural knowledge that Isidore had assimilated enabled him to constantly compare the Christian newness with the Greco-Roman cultural heritage, however, rather than the precious gift of synthesis it would seem that he possessed the gift of collatio, that is, of collecting."

For this reason, Isidore has been regarded as the patron saint of the Internet. He was, in a certain sense, a human "Wikipedia," possessing a vast storehouse of information on every topic available at that time.

St. Isidore is a great intercessor for all those logging on to the internet, a saint who can help us find what we need as well as protect us from the darker side of the World Wide Web.

As a note, his patronage of the Internet is often linked to Pope John Paul II, with various online authors claiming that he named him the patron saint of the Internet in 1997. Whether or not this is true, his patronage is also an expression of popular piety and a variety of Catholics around the world coming to a similar consensus as to who would be the best patron saint for humanity's largest compilation of knowledge.