We need to recognize this 10th century Benedictine monk who is regarded as one of the main people who introduced the use of Arabic numerals and zero into Europe.
Gerbert was a teacher of maths and an innovator in teaching numerical methods. He used the abacus and the astrolabe.
He became an advisor to Otto III, and ended up being elevated by Otto to Pope Sylvestor II. Otto wanted to bring a scientific approach to the Papacy. It did not eventuate.. Sylvester II died within 4 years of his appointment.
You can read the story here
The reference is
“The Abacus and the Cross” Nancy Marie Brown ISBN 978-0-465-00950-3
Gerbert was , until last week , the only mathematician Pope.
The newly elected Pope Leo XIV has a degree in mathematics.
It will be interesting to see what a mathematical Pope will do… it may bring a more scientic approach. Perhaps even the fulfillment of Otto’s dream.
I dont know if the new Pope is a Linux user, but it is likely, because the Vatican website
is driven by Linux.
At least they are off to a good start… a fusion of technical and other-worldly concerns has always been on the menu.
In a sense, Gerbert was a pioneer of numerical computing, but he tried to use it to better the world. It may be that the current papacy could be a fulfillment of that goal.
I asked Copilot about the software used to host the website:
The Vatican’s website is hosted by its own Internet Service Provider, managed by the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems. The Vatican operates its own datacenter, known as the Vatican Computer Center (VCC), which hosts web, mail, and DNS servers.
Regarding the underlying technology, the Vatican Library uses CentOS Linux for many of its servers, along with Apache Hadoop for distributed storage and Postfix for email services. Additionally, its virtual infrastructure is managed using VMware, hosting over 100 virtual machines running a mix of Unix, GNU/Linux, and Microsoft operating systems.
While this suggests that Linux-based solutions are widely used within the Vatican’s IT infrastructure, the specific web server software (Apache, NGINX, or another) running the Vatican’s main website isn’t explicitly mentioned. However, given the Vatican’s commitment to open-source technologies, Apache or NGINX on Linux would be a reasonable assumption.
" AI Overview
There are no known direct job postings for “Vatican Linux positions”. While Vatican City does employ people, including those in IT roles, the focus is on roles related to the Church’s administration and operations, not specifically Linux-related technical positions. Vatican City has a small workforce, and its IT needs are likely handled by a smaller team focused on internal systems and infrastructure."
