I prayed every night I would wake as a girl says vicar (Express)
I prayed every night I would awake as a girl says transsexual vicarBY ALUN REES A VICAR who is to become the first serving Church of England priest to have a sex change operation has cherished a dream of being female since he was a child. The Rev Peter Stone said yesterday: “Every night I prayed I would wake up as a girl.” He will have the sex change operation later this year and then resume preaching as the Rev Carol Stone. Transsexual Mr Stone, vicar of St Philip’s Church, Upper Stratton, Swindon, spoke of his relief at receiving the blessing of the Bishop of Bristol for his plans and said it followed “years of pain”. He added: “It has been a lifetime’s journey. Among my earliest memories are of me wishing that I was other than I am. I just want to match up my head and heart with my body.” Mr Stone, 46, who is twice divorced, said his 18-year-old daughter fully understood his decision. He added: “She had been tremendously supportive. She is doing her A-levels at the moment so she has had a lot on her mind. My mother, I think, wants my happiness, and has known about my struggle for many years.” The Church of England’s decision to stand by Mr Stone as he goes through his “gender redesignation” is certain to revive the debate over the nature of the priesthood in the Church, where a system of “Flying Bishops” exists to cover for bishops who will not countenance women priests. Bristol’s bishop, the Right Rev Bishop Barry Rogerson, said yesterday: “There are no ethical or ecclesiastical legal reasons why the Rev Carol Stone should not continue ministry in the church.” He claimed that Mr Stone had the full support of his parishioners in the Stratton area of Swindon. And he was adamant that most churchgoers support women priests and would see the transsexual vicar in the same light. The bishop told the Daily Express: “It isn’t the case that there is a split in the church. Women priests, which is effectively what Carol will be, are loved and accepted for the work that they do. Only a very small minority in the Church are against women priests.” Mr Stone sat next to the bishop wearing his “dog collar” and a lightweight beige suit. His ears were pierced and he had evidently been wearing earrings recently, He had clear varnish on his nails. He said he had half a dozen weddings he wanted to “get out of the way” before he went ahead with the surgical phase of his sex change. He added: “The church has been immensely supportive in this whole matter. I have had a lot of support from the parish - lots of nice cards and letters.”
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