James Kavanaugh | Disenchanted priest, 81

James Kavanaugh, 81, a former Catholic priest who came to fame in 1967 with his best seller calling for changes in the church and later wrote best-selling books of poetry and other works, has died.

Mr. Kavanaugh, who underwent surgery for an aortic aneurysm in July, died Dec. 29 in a hospice in Kalamazoo, Mich., said his wife, Cathy.

Ordained in 1954, Mr. Kavanaugh served as a parish priest in Lansing and Flint, Mich., and earned a doctorate at the Catholic University of America in Washington before the publication of A Modern Priest Looks at His Outdated Church in 1967.

The book, in which he called for the church to change its stands on issues such as birth control, divorce, premarital sex, and celibacy for priests, quickly became a best seller.

Look magazine purchased the serial rights, and Mr. Kavanaugh made the rounds of talk shows, including Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. He also was in great demand to speak on college campuses.

The book followed up on an article he had written for the Saturday Evening Post's "Speaking Out" page. Written under the pseudonym "Father Stephen Nash," it was titled "I Am a Priest and I Want to Marry." - Los Angeles Times