We do not know precisely when Shakespeare's father, John, was born but he would have been brought up a Catholic. From 1534, however, when Henry VIII finally renounced the authority of the Pope and declared himself head of the Church of England, a new faith (which we now call Protestant) emerged. Many born before this time had difficulty abandoning their old faith but were generally left alone if they made no public display of their beliefs. John Shakespeare was cited once (in 1592) for failing to attend church, but he gave as his excuse fear of his creditors, so we should not, perhaps, read too much into this. However, even if we were to accept that John had difficulty in renouncing Catholicism, there is no evidence one way or the other for Shakespeare himself. Efforts have been made to determine his personal beliefs (not just his religion) from the evidence of his plays but such an approach must by its very nature remain speculative.