The Scots College in Rome was founded in 1600 by Clement VIII in the wake of the Scottish Reformation, when teaching the Catholic faith at home was illegal, but was still practiced in secret.
On March 10, 1616, just one year after the Scottish Jesuit priest St. John Ogilvie was martyred for celebrating Mass for the few remaining Catholic families in his country, Paul V gave students the option to take the "Mission Oath" to return to Scotland when they became priests, or to leave the college.
Inspired by St. John Ogilvie's witness, the first 16 students of the seminary took the oath to return home after ordination to serve as priests in Scotland even if it meant facing martyrdom themselves.
Pope Francis said that "The 'yes' proclaimed by the sixteen men four hundred years ago was eloquent not simply for their good intentions, but rather because they persevered, and prepared themselves in every way, returning to Scotland to face the hardships that awaited them, even if it meant becoming martyrs themselves."
He urged the seminarians studying in Rome to "(l)et your 'yes' be marked by a firm resolve to give yourselves generously to your priestly formation, so that your years in Rome may prepare you to return to Scotland and to offer your lives completely."
By doing so, these young men will not only "honor the history and sacrifices" of their predecessors, but they will also become "a sign to the Scottish people," especially the youth who seem to be "the furthest from Christ."