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The Celibates
Ted Santek and Gerry Beauvais become roommates during their years at St. John's Provincial Seminary and form a friendship that lasts throughout their lives. Although from quite different backgrounds, each is thoroughly dedicated to the priesthood, but struggles in his own way with the vow of celibacy imposed by the Catholic Church. Kavanaugh, a former priest, tells an impassioned tale of love, restraint, compromise, and guilt as he contrasts the tragic lives of two men who challenge the stance of the Church concerning personal relations. The Celibates is set in Michigan and Illinois during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, at a time when war and social change are pressuring the Catholic Church to look introspectively at its dogma and practices. Kavanaugh presents a good view of the controversy and turmoil of the Church during those years, although personal biases are clearly represented.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
14 people want to read
About the author
James Kavanaugh
63 books123 followersJames Kavanaugh was ordained and actively ministered for ten years as a Catholic Priest before attending Catholic University in Washington D.C. Working on his second doctoral degree, he wrote an article for the Saturday Evening Post, entitled, "I am a Priest, and I want to marry." The article questioned the practice of celibacy among priests. The year was 1967, the height of the sexual revolution. Although it was written under a pseudonym and even his closest friends and family were not aware of the author, it was received with such commotion and outrage, the secret would not be kept for long. Jim then exploded onto the American scene with A Modern Priest Looks At His Outdated Church. The New York Times called it "a personal cry of anguish that goes to the heart of the troubles plaguing the Catholic Church." Soon Simon and Schuster came calling with a book deal.
Though a gifted scholar, with degrees in psychology and religious philosophy, James took a leave of absence from the priesthood, packed his VW bug and headed for California to write books. Jim surrendered his priestly collar and doctoral robes to become a gentle revolutionary.
Forty years ago in a decrepit New York residence hotel, Kavanaugh rejected lucrative offers to write what publishers wanted. "Feasting", he laughs, "on bagels, peanut butter, and cheese whiz", he wrote his first poetry book, There Are Men Too Gentle To Live Among Wolves. The book was turned down by a dozen publishers, only to sell over a million copies.
Wayne Dyer captures his power:
"James Kavanaugh is America's poet laureate. His words and ideas touch my soul. I can think of no living person who can put into words what we have all felt so deeply in our inner selves."
A dozen poetry books followed, as well as powerful novels, prose allegory and his best-selling Search, a guide for personal joy and freedom. The rebel priest became the people's poet, singing songs of human struggle, of hope and laughter, of healing that comes from within. James Kavanaugh possesses a charisma that excites audiences with passion and humor. He loves wandering, tennis and trout fishing, the cities and wilderness, people and solitude.
Though a gifted scholar, with degrees in psychology and religious philosophy, James took a leave of absence from the priesthood, packed his VW bug and headed for California to write books. Jim surrendered his priestly collar and doctoral robes to become a gentle revolutionary.
Forty years ago in a decrepit New York residence hotel, Kavanaugh rejected lucrative offers to write what publishers wanted. "Feasting", he laughs, "on bagels, peanut butter, and cheese whiz", he wrote his first poetry book, There Are Men Too Gentle To Live Among Wolves. The book was turned down by a dozen publishers, only to sell over a million copies.
Wayne Dyer captures his power:
"James Kavanaugh is America's poet laureate. His words and ideas touch my soul. I can think of no living person who can put into words what we have all felt so deeply in our inner selves."
A dozen poetry books followed, as well as powerful novels, prose allegory and his best-selling Search, a guide for personal joy and freedom. The rebel priest became the people's poet, singing songs of human struggle, of hope and laughter, of healing that comes from within. James Kavanaugh possesses a charisma that excites audiences with passion and humor. He loves wandering, tennis and trout fishing, the cities and wilderness, people and solitude.
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April 26, 2025
THE PASSSIONATE AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING NOVEL OF A ONCE-CONTROVERSIAL EX-PRIEST
James Kavanaugh (1928-2009) is most famous for his Saturday Evening Post article, ‘I am a Priest; I Want to Marry,’ which he followed up with his bestselling 1967 book, ‘A Modern Priest Looks at His Outdated Church.’ Kavanaugh left the priesthood soon after his book was published, and he wrote poetry (e.g., ‘There are Men Too Gentle to Live Among Wolves’), and many other books. [He also married after leaving the priesthood, and was twice-divorced.]
As you know if you read the description of this book, two seemingly opposite men (Ted Santek, the former ‘womanizer’) and Gerry Beauvais (the shy theoretician) who are best friends become ordained priests, and each struggle in different ways with the requirement of celibacy.
Kavanaugh notes that Santek “had become a legend, not because he was so unusual but because Catholics asked so little of their priests. Even mediocre and self-centered priests earned their respect, and ill-tempered and neurotic ones somehow received more than tolerance. But a good priest, one who cared, who took the time to understand, would never be forgotten. It didn’t matter if he drank or gambled, if he drove a Cadillac or took expensive vacations his flock could not afford. They would defend him to the death.” (Pg. 7)
Santek and his lover Angie observe, “[said Angie] Hundreds of priests and nuns are leaving now. The Church will have to face facts, or there won’t be enough priests left.” “[said Santek] Maybe if Pope John were alive… the Church won’t give on anything except trivial liturgical changes. Pope Paul is as archaic as long underwear. He just wrote a whole encyclical on the ‘great gift’ of celibacy.” (Pg. 26)
After a class discussion, Beauvis tells Santek, “You’re right about what you said. Rhythm won’t stand up. The Church doesn’t change people. People change the Church.” (Pg. 60)
Santek realizes, “it was a truism---that the celibate cleric was for some women a prized trophy, for others the spiritual kind of man who fulfilled a romantic dream… The women also pursued him after nouvenas, parish suppers… They attended his Masses, lingering afterward… All he had to do was make the first move and they were his, and if it felt like love, it superseded all the ecclesiastical bans that made sex with a priest the unpardonable sin. He was, for them, the ultimate norm of all morality. Otherwise, why would they have tolerated the Church’s inhumane position on birth control and sex and divorce?” (Pg. 102)
Santek acknowledges, “His priesthood had at times grown stale and impersonal and seemed increasingly less exciting… [But] to leave would destroy his family and corrode his own future. He was trained for nothing but the priesthood. In reality, he loved being a priest when his loneliness and sexual needs were under control. [Could he] become an Episcopalian[?]… Impossible! Angie would never let him leave the priesthood on her account. Would she stay with him? He doubted it. Her Catholic conscience would never permit it. Nor would his. He couldn’t lead a double life.” (Pg. 141)
Beauvis tells Santek, “why don’t you just continue seeing her without deciding to leave the priesthood? What the hell kind of work would you do? There’s not a big demand for ex-priests. Not even charming, good-looking ones.” (Pg. 156)
Santek thinks, “It is hard to describe what a man feels when he has been locked into a religious vocation ever since high school and then suddenly finds release. For years … [his] very salvation depended on his fidelity to the priesthood… There was no one to talk to… Priests didn’t even talk honestly among themselves… if a priest slipped sexually, he usually sought out a strange confessor… Ted Santek felt the sudden freedom of a prisoner removed from solitary confinement… There were no words to describe what it meant to be immersed in the sensuality of Creole food and fine French wine… And above all else, the overpowering experience of an incredibly passionate love.” (Pg. 174)
Looking for a job, Santek “was scarcely aware that he had received special treatment as a priest… the collar provided immediate friends, built-in respect, and an innate courtesy not extended to the rest of the world. He had never even received a traffic citation… It was a strange feeling to be treated as just another member of the Crowell Employment Agency.” (Pg. 187)
After Angie leaves Santek, “he was in a kind of helpless daze… If Angie could leave him what kind of man was he?... The priesthood, with all its benefits to the lonely and distressed… was not always a boon to the man who wore the collar and the black robes. Santek became aware that he could remain a child emotionally… especially if he was well-liked and gained hierarchical status… Even his sexual indiscretions were wiped away by the gentlest of confessors. Lay people did not receive such privileged treatment unless then were a Kennedy or a Crosby. The collar was a magical key to open a hundred doors… Ted was his mother’s entrance to heaven, her guarantee of honor and respectability in the parish… and she had attended to his every wish … It was little wonder that Santek expected Angie to behave the same way. Ted had gradually become aware of a long tradition in the Catholic Church of anti-feminism… The birth control issue, for example, was only a reflection of the downgrading of women… [Angie] finally leaving Santek was … a brave and powerful resistance to her whole tradition.” (Pg. 244)
He wrote, “Gerry Beauvais was still struggling with his own priesthood. He awoke, after his rapturous encounter with Peggy, refreshed and alive and completely in love. He was instinctively relieved that they had drawn back from total carnal love, not out of some guilt---he felt none---but because he had experienced a melding of spirits he had not known before… he now felt some spiritual joy which escaped all description, a closeness he had never known in life… he knew that his celibate love had not been a mistake.” (Pg. 259)
Beauvais argues with his bishop, “Peggy and I took vows, pledging our bodies and energies to God…. Doesn’t Vatican Two mean anything?... You still treat me like a seminarian, Bishop… How many priests and nuns have to leave, Bishop?... The Church is not a hierarchy any more. It’s not even Pope Paul. It’s all of us. We’re changing, and the institution is going to have to reflect that change or it will die!” (Pg. 277)
Santak talks with the Bishop: “I need Angle. Without her, I’m just another self-centered damn bachelor! But if Beauvais is thrown out, I go with him. If there’s no place for him, there sure as hell is no place for me! … I understand where you’re coming from, Bishop. I won’t even ask you to close your eyes. But many priests and nuns are going to have intimate relationships… The Church will force them to hide these relationships. But celibacy is not for everyone, Bishop. It just doesn’t work for many of us. You and I know how many alcoholics there are in the priesthood. Just turning one’s back on women isn’t celibacy. It’s isolation. We were never taught to be celibates.” (Pg. 294)
Not exactly a ‘page-turner’ of an ‘action thriller' novel, this book will, however, be of great interest to those concerned with change in the Catholic Church.
James Kavanaugh (1928-2009) is most famous for his Saturday Evening Post article, ‘I am a Priest; I Want to Marry,’ which he followed up with his bestselling 1967 book, ‘A Modern Priest Looks at His Outdated Church.’ Kavanaugh left the priesthood soon after his book was published, and he wrote poetry (e.g., ‘There are Men Too Gentle to Live Among Wolves’), and many other books. [He also married after leaving the priesthood, and was twice-divorced.]
As you know if you read the description of this book, two seemingly opposite men (Ted Santek, the former ‘womanizer’) and Gerry Beauvais (the shy theoretician) who are best friends become ordained priests, and each struggle in different ways with the requirement of celibacy.
Kavanaugh notes that Santek “had become a legend, not because he was so unusual but because Catholics asked so little of their priests. Even mediocre and self-centered priests earned their respect, and ill-tempered and neurotic ones somehow received more than tolerance. But a good priest, one who cared, who took the time to understand, would never be forgotten. It didn’t matter if he drank or gambled, if he drove a Cadillac or took expensive vacations his flock could not afford. They would defend him to the death.” (Pg. 7)
Santek and his lover Angie observe, “[said Angie] Hundreds of priests and nuns are leaving now. The Church will have to face facts, or there won’t be enough priests left.” “[said Santek] Maybe if Pope John were alive… the Church won’t give on anything except trivial liturgical changes. Pope Paul is as archaic as long underwear. He just wrote a whole encyclical on the ‘great gift’ of celibacy.” (Pg. 26)
After a class discussion, Beauvis tells Santek, “You’re right about what you said. Rhythm won’t stand up. The Church doesn’t change people. People change the Church.” (Pg. 60)
Santek realizes, “it was a truism---that the celibate cleric was for some women a prized trophy, for others the spiritual kind of man who fulfilled a romantic dream… The women also pursued him after nouvenas, parish suppers… They attended his Masses, lingering afterward… All he had to do was make the first move and they were his, and if it felt like love, it superseded all the ecclesiastical bans that made sex with a priest the unpardonable sin. He was, for them, the ultimate norm of all morality. Otherwise, why would they have tolerated the Church’s inhumane position on birth control and sex and divorce?” (Pg. 102)
Santek acknowledges, “His priesthood had at times grown stale and impersonal and seemed increasingly less exciting… [But] to leave would destroy his family and corrode his own future. He was trained for nothing but the priesthood. In reality, he loved being a priest when his loneliness and sexual needs were under control. [Could he] become an Episcopalian[?]… Impossible! Angie would never let him leave the priesthood on her account. Would she stay with him? He doubted it. Her Catholic conscience would never permit it. Nor would his. He couldn’t lead a double life.” (Pg. 141)
Beauvis tells Santek, “why don’t you just continue seeing her without deciding to leave the priesthood? What the hell kind of work would you do? There’s not a big demand for ex-priests. Not even charming, good-looking ones.” (Pg. 156)
Santek thinks, “It is hard to describe what a man feels when he has been locked into a religious vocation ever since high school and then suddenly finds release. For years … [his] very salvation depended on his fidelity to the priesthood… There was no one to talk to… Priests didn’t even talk honestly among themselves… if a priest slipped sexually, he usually sought out a strange confessor… Ted Santek felt the sudden freedom of a prisoner removed from solitary confinement… There were no words to describe what it meant to be immersed in the sensuality of Creole food and fine French wine… And above all else, the overpowering experience of an incredibly passionate love.” (Pg. 174)
Looking for a job, Santek “was scarcely aware that he had received special treatment as a priest… the collar provided immediate friends, built-in respect, and an innate courtesy not extended to the rest of the world. He had never even received a traffic citation… It was a strange feeling to be treated as just another member of the Crowell Employment Agency.” (Pg. 187)
After Angie leaves Santek, “he was in a kind of helpless daze… If Angie could leave him what kind of man was he?... The priesthood, with all its benefits to the lonely and distressed… was not always a boon to the man who wore the collar and the black robes. Santek became aware that he could remain a child emotionally… especially if he was well-liked and gained hierarchical status… Even his sexual indiscretions were wiped away by the gentlest of confessors. Lay people did not receive such privileged treatment unless then were a Kennedy or a Crosby. The collar was a magical key to open a hundred doors… Ted was his mother’s entrance to heaven, her guarantee of honor and respectability in the parish… and she had attended to his every wish … It was little wonder that Santek expected Angie to behave the same way. Ted had gradually become aware of a long tradition in the Catholic Church of anti-feminism… The birth control issue, for example, was only a reflection of the downgrading of women… [Angie] finally leaving Santek was … a brave and powerful resistance to her whole tradition.” (Pg. 244)
He wrote, “Gerry Beauvais was still struggling with his own priesthood. He awoke, after his rapturous encounter with Peggy, refreshed and alive and completely in love. He was instinctively relieved that they had drawn back from total carnal love, not out of some guilt---he felt none---but because he had experienced a melding of spirits he had not known before… he now felt some spiritual joy which escaped all description, a closeness he had never known in life… he knew that his celibate love had not been a mistake.” (Pg. 259)
Beauvais argues with his bishop, “Peggy and I took vows, pledging our bodies and energies to God…. Doesn’t Vatican Two mean anything?... You still treat me like a seminarian, Bishop… How many priests and nuns have to leave, Bishop?... The Church is not a hierarchy any more. It’s not even Pope Paul. It’s all of us. We’re changing, and the institution is going to have to reflect that change or it will die!” (Pg. 277)
Santak talks with the Bishop: “I need Angle. Without her, I’m just another self-centered damn bachelor! But if Beauvais is thrown out, I go with him. If there’s no place for him, there sure as hell is no place for me! … I understand where you’re coming from, Bishop. I won’t even ask you to close your eyes. But many priests and nuns are going to have intimate relationships… The Church will force them to hide these relationships. But celibacy is not for everyone, Bishop. It just doesn’t work for many of us. You and I know how many alcoholics there are in the priesthood. Just turning one’s back on women isn’t celibacy. It’s isolation. We were never taught to be celibates.” (Pg. 294)
Not exactly a ‘page-turner’ of an ‘action thriller' novel, this book will, however, be of great interest to those concerned with change in the Catholic Church.
September 6, 2022
This was an interesting book. Having been raised in the Catholic faith, I could certainly relate to this novel.
The Catholic Church is antiquated and totally out of touch with the people--out of step with the world! As are most politicians.
The only reason the church demands celibacy is due to inheritance issues. Jesus wasn't celibate! He was a rabbi and was most likely married to Mary Magdalene and they most likely had children! Yeah, that's right. But the church manipulated Jesus and Mary Magdalene and rewrote the Bible all because of money! And who's surprised? Ha!
Anyway, if you're interested in a novel about titillating sex and the church, you should read this book. But if you are devout, the premise might shock you.
The Catholic Church is antiquated and totally out of touch with the people--out of step with the world! As are most politicians.
The only reason the church demands celibacy is due to inheritance issues. Jesus wasn't celibate! He was a rabbi and was most likely married to Mary Magdalene and they most likely had children! Yeah, that's right. But the church manipulated Jesus and Mary Magdalene and rewrote the Bible all because of money! And who's surprised? Ha!
Anyway, if you're interested in a novel about titillating sex and the church, you should read this book. But if you are devout, the premise might shock you.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews