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Saint Patrick was one of the Philosophy and religion good articles, but it has been removed from the list. There are suggestions below for improving the article to meet the good article criteria. Once these issues have been addressed, the article can be renominated. Editors may also seek a reassessment of the decision if they believe there was a mistake.
Harrison, Stephen (16 March 2018). "The Wikipedia Page for St. Patrick Is Surprisingly Good: Here's why". Slate. As Adrianne LaFrance noted in the Atlantic, there is no self-evident unifying theory about why certain Wikipedia pages are higher quality than others. But with its combination of primary sources, motivated contributors, and shared vision, St. Patrick's entry could be hinting at the magic formula.
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Latest comment: 5 months ago5 comments4 people in discussion
Britain did not exist as a nationality during the life of Saint Patrick so on what basis is he referred to as British?
From my investigations, it is very likely he would have identified as Roman, his writings say as much and furthermore his most likely place of birth was somewhere near modern day Dumbarton/Kilpatrick in Scotland which would mean he would likely identify as Damnonii.
On the contrary, Britannia is a Roman name, & Britannia Prima and Secunda were the Late Roman provinces, the latter streching well into modern Scotland. There are numerous candidates for the exact place, but it is very likely that Romanized people from all of them would have thought of themselves as British. Note that the De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae by Patrick's rough contemporary Gildas (whose exact place of origin is equally uncertain), uses Britain and Britons all the time. Johnbod (talk) 21:21, 5 April 2026 (UTC)Reply
Here are the specific sources and contexts where Patrick identifies as Roman.
1. Epistola ad milites Corotici (Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus).
This is Patrick's most explicit identification with Rome. He wrote this letter to excommunicate the soldiers of a warlord named Coroticus, who had raided Patrick's newly baptised converts.
Patrick writes, "Non dico civibus meis neque civibus sanctorum Romanorum..." ("I do not say to my fellow-citizens of the holy Romans..")
By using the word civibus (citizens), Patrick is asseting his legal status. He distinguishes his "holy Roman" converts from the "barbarian" soldiers of Coroticus, essentially arguing that by their cruel actions, the soldiers have forfeited their right to be called Romans or fellow citizens.
2. Confessio (The Declaration)
The Confessio is Patrick's spiritual autobiography, written toward, the end of his life to defend his ministry. While it focuses more on his faith than his nationality, it establishes his Roman social standing.
The Roman Infrastructure: Patrick identifies his father, Calpurnius, as a decurio (a city councilor) and a deacon.
The Legal Context: In the Roman Empire, a decurio was a member of the local Roman municipal aristocracy. This title confirms that Patrick belonged to the Roman administrative class.
Even though he lived several decades (at least) after Rome had any sort of control over anywhere he ever went to? Many Roman people who actually lived under the empire also identified as Italian, Syrian and so forth. Do you have any WP:RS that call Patrick a Roman in this fashion? Patrick probably felt culturally Roman in some fashion, but if we are using (possibly anachronistically) modern concepts of nationality, it is inappropriate to call him Roman. Johnbod (talk) 19:59, 9 April 2026 (UTC)Reply
level-5 vital article is rated B-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale.
The redirect St.Patrick has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2026 April 22 § St.Patrick until a consensus is reached. 𝔅𝔦𝔰-𝔖𝔢𝔯𝔧𝔢𝔱𝔞? 21:38, 22 April 2026 (UTC)
