Irish trans activist backs Vatican over ‘amazing’ new law
Joy trans people can be baptised and godparents
REBECCA Tallon de Havilland has welcomed the Vatican’s new transgender guidelines declaring: “It’s about time.”
Pope Francis signed a document on Thursday confirming trans people can be baptised as Catholics, become godparents and be witnesses at wedding ceremonies.
Rebecca, one of the first transgender women in Ireland to receive a female passport, told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “It’s amazing news. It’s about time.”
The 65-year-old Longford native, who describes herself as a devout Catholic, opened up on missing out on being a godparent to her nieces and nephews.
Rebecca said: “I’ve had a lot of nieces and nephews born and I couldn’t be a godparent because of the church.
“By default I’ve become an unofficial godparent to one or two kids along the way.
“For me to be able to meet so many of my family and not be able to stand up at the baptism bowl both hurt at first but then you numb out.
“Back in the day there were a few weddings I wasn’t able to attend because the priest disapproved of me being there as a trans woman.”
Now Rebecca, who works promoting HIV awareness in London, is hopeful that her dream of becoming a godparent will happen.
She added: “I’ve grandnieces and nephews, I’m not saying I’ll be asked but it’s great that it could be possible for me to be part of that.
“It would be a big dream of mine to become a godparent.”
Rebecca welcomed the Catholic Church’s change of direction, which came on foot of a letter by Brazilian Bishop Jose Negri proposing the participation in baptism and weddings by transexual people.
She said: “I would like to think that people who are honest Catholics are not hypocrites and start to see us as human beings.
“We must be human beings if we are allowed to be godparents in the eyes of the Catholic Church. I didn’t transgender my soul.”
The Vatican statement says that priests have the discretion to refuse requests if there is a danger of “scandal” or “confusion”.
It said “a transsexual – even one who has undergone hormone treatment and gender reassignment surgery – may receive baptism under the same conditions as other faithful”.
The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith said when it came to baptisms, “pastoral prudence” was advised.
LGBT activist Rebecca told of the vitriol she received from some clergy members after her transition in 1991.
She added: “A couple of years into my transition I went to confession and the priest told me I would rot in hell.
“I was happy with who I was and was happy to rot in hell just to be me but I was still a Catholic and we all
I would like to think that people who are honest Catholics start to see us as human beings
struggle with guilt because it’s inbuilt in us.
“At that stage I had turned to addiction, alcohol and drugs, I was a lost soul, so it was hard.”
Now sober 19 years, she said: “His words made me go deeper into my addiction, I felt I’m doomed if I live and doomed if I die.”
Despite such negativity towards her, her Catholic faith has remained strong. Rebecca added: “I went to Whitefriar Church [in Aungier Street in Dublin] a lot and the priest there told me God loves all children and you haven’t changed your soul.
“I still very much follow my faith. I go to Lourdes every year on my own. I have a deep affinity with Our Lady.
“I’m intelligent enough of a woman to realise religion has changed over the years and become man-made.”
Rebecca now hopes the Church’s acceptance of trans people will help how they’re viewed in society. She said: “It’s time for the hate crimes to stop, the bullying and people saying you’re not a woman.
“Who are they to say? They don’t even know me or other people like me.
“In today’s world it’s not about me anymore, at this point I’m made of teflon.
“But there are young girls and guys coming out or wanting to be non-binary.
“You’ve these assholes on social media being so hateful and so derogatory to them. This news will be comforting, I don’t go to Mass every Sunday but I go a lot, I have a strong faith. “This is a great step, no matter who we are in life and some people become buddhists but I’m happy with my religion. “This is so positive. “I’m happy with Our Lady and Jesus and what they did on this earth.”