THE SCOTS COLLEGE, ROME

That this House notes that 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of the beginning of priestly formation at the Scots College, Rome, and its status as a seminary; further notes that the college was founded and endowed in 1600 by Pope Clement VIII as a place of religious education and formation for Catholic men who could no longer access such an education at home due to the after-effects of the Reformation, and that on 10 March 1616 the college became a seminary as the student body, inspired by a reading of the Acts of the Martyrdom of St. John Ogilvie, offered themselves for training for the priesthood and the mission in Scotland; notes the important role the seminary has played in the life of the Catholic community and wider society in Scotland throughout its history, and the welcome it has provided to Scots and other visitors in Rome throughout the centuries, both at its original homes in the city and at its present location on the Via Cassia; notes that the seminary considers itself to be one of the oldest international Scottish institutions; and wishes the community at the seminary a joyful year of celebration.