3 The terrible storm which swept over the Church in the sixteenth century,deprived the vast majority of the Scottish people, as well as many other peoplesof Europe, of that Catholic Faith which they had gloriously held for over onethousand years. It is most pleasing to Us to revert to the great achievements ofyour forefathers on behalf of Catholicism, and also to allude to some of those,and they are many, to whose virtue and illustrious deeds Scotland owes so muchof her renown. Surely your fellow-countrymen will not take it ill that We shouldagain remind them of what they owe to the Catholic Church and to the ApostolicSee. We speak of what you already know. As your ancient Annals relate, St.Ninian, a countryman of yours, was so inflamed with the desire of greaterspiritual progress by the reading of Holy Writ, that he exclaimed: "I shallrise and go over sea and land, seeking that truth which my soul loveth. But isso much trouble needful? Was it not said to Peter: `Thou are Peter and upon thisrock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail againstit?' Therefore in the faith of Peter there is nothing wanting, nothing obscure,nothing imperfect, nothing against which evil doctrines and pernicious views canprevail, after the manner of the gates of hell. And where is the faith of Peter,but in the See of Peter? Thither, thither I must repair, that going forth frommy country, from my kindred, and from my father's house, I may see in the landof the Vision the will of the Lord and be protected by His Temple." ( Ex Hist. Vitae S. Niniani a S. Aelredo Ab. cons. ) Hence, full of reverence hehastened to Rome, and when at the Tomb of the Apostles he had imbibed inabundance Catholic truth at its very source and fountainhead, by command of theSupreme Pontiff he returned home, preached the true Roman faith to hisfellow-countrymen, and founded the Church of Galloway about two hundred yearsbefore St. Augustine landed in England. This was the faith of St. Columba; thiswas the faith kept so religiously and preached so zealously by the monks of old,whose chief centre, Iona, was rendered famous by their eminent virtues. Need Wemention Queen Margaret, a light and ornament not only of Scotland, but of thewhole of Christendom, who, though she occupied the most exalted position inpoint of worldly dignity, sought only in her whole life things eternal and divine, and thus spread throughout the Church the luster of her virtues? There can be no doubt she owed this her eminent sanctity to the influence and guidance of the Catholic Faith. And did not the power and constancy of the Catholic faith give to Wallace and Bruce, the two great heroes of your race, their indomitable courage in defence of their country? We say nothing of the immense number of those who achieved so much for the commonwealth, and who belong to that progeny which the Catholic Church has never ceased to bring forth. We say nothing of the advantages which your nation has derived from her influence. It is undeniable that it was through her wisdom and authority that those famous seats of learning were opened at St. Andrews, Glasgow, and Aberdeen, and that your judicial system was drawn up and adopted. Hence We can well understand why Scotland has been honoured by the title of "Special Daughter of the Holy See."
Source: Caritatis Studium (Vatican.va)