The Assertio septem sacrameto, or ‘The defence of the seven sacraments’ was Henry VIII’s refutation of Martin Luther’s heretical challenge to the Pope and church. For Henry’s efforts, the Pope Leo X granted to him and his successors the title ‘Fidei Defensor’ or ‘Defender of the Faith’.
In this rare Italian edition housed in the Pepys Library, the Assertio is preceded by introductory leaves containing the text of Leo X’s letter to Henry VIII. The edition was published in 1521, the same year as the ‘Fidei Defensor’ title was bestowed. When we speak of the current monarch as the ‘Defender of the Faith’, it is a reference to the Catholic Church, although it is sometimes misconstrued as a title associated with the monarch being the head of the Church of England. This edition of the Assertio was published by Etienne Guillery. Originally from Lunéville in France, he was active in Rome as a printer, publisher and bookseller where he was known as ‘Stephani Guilliretti’. Six years after this edition was published, Henry initiated the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, paving the way for the English Reformation, and distanced himself from the authorship of the Assertio.
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