Explain whether you agree or disagree with the statement ' Henry VIII never seriously abandoned the Catholic faith in the years 1529 to 1547'

Although Henry broke away from the supermeacy of Rome his motiveations and actions in response to his faith indicate that he at least in part retained some association with the Catholic Faith. Prior to the break with Rome Henry his noted for his pamphlete in defence of the faith in response to the actions of Luther. Not only was Henry a Catholic he was an advocate for its practice and very existence for which he was granted the title Defender of the Faith. Following his break many of this personal associations remained and are reflected in his actions to the restructuring of faith in the country. The Act of Six Articles (1539) al but undid the more progressive Act of Ten Articles (1536). This is in part representative more of his personal motivations in securing an heir than in his personal believes. The need to secure a male heir for the dynasty dictates much of Henry's policies, by the time of the Act of Six Articles, he has changed his personal circumstances from those at the time of the initial break with Rome. Henry had produced an heir in Edward and the reformation movement and influential forces around Anne Boleyn have been removed and as such a more clear representation of Henry's own views can be seen in his later actions. Although Henry had been excommunicated by the Pope and his Act of Supremacy (1534) legally reinforced his position as head of the church his action to adhere to certain key factors of Catholicism reflect his inherent believe in the Catholic Faith. Within the Act of Six Articles (1539) Henry reinstates the act of transubstantiation something that was viewed by reformationists as a defining charactistic divide between believe systems. While this had been removed in the Act of Ten Articles the reinstament reflects a more generalised return to Catholism under the leadership of Henry. The reasoning for this U-Turn has been questions by some historians however the ease in the return to what is essential Catholic characterstic supports the idea that Henry never truly drifted from his believe system and his early more reformationist movement was motivated by his personal needs for succession rather than ideological believe.