By Andrew Quinn

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Anton Szandor LaVey, the former lion trainer
who became the ``Black Pope'' of the Church of Satan, died last week aged 67,
his daughter said Friday.

``He said his epitaph should be ...'I only regret the times that I was too nice,'''
Karla LaVey, a self-described Satanic high priestess, told a news conference.

LaVey, the goateed occultist who played Satan in Roman Polanski's 1968 film
``Rosemary's Baby'' and wrote the ``Satanic Bible,'' died of pulmonary edema
brought on by a heart attack.

Family members said LaVey died Oct. 29, but for some reason his death
certificate lists him as having died Oct. 31 -- Halloween.

Deepening the mystery, the family said they kept his death secret for a week in
order not to distract his followers over their most important holiday season.

``We knew that our members would be very upset by this,'' said Karla.

In the small, black-painted Victorian house which served as LaVey's home and
church headquarters, Karla and LaVey's longtime companion Blanche Barton,
another church high priestess, vowed Thursday to continue with his work.

``We will follow in his footsteps ... to keep the Church of Satan alive and strong,''
said Karla, seated beside a life-size waxwork figure of her father in the house's
``Ritual Chamber'', or parlour. ``No-one will take his place,'' added Barton.

LaVey worked as a circus lion trainer, a crime photographer and professional
organist before founding his church in 1966. With his shaven head and trademark
black cape, he gained notoriety in 1967 when he performed the very first Satanic
wedding.

The church claims more than 10,000 members, scattered across the globe. His
followers, which the British newspaper The Sunday Times last year said included
Sammy Davis, Jr. and Jayne Mansfield, nicknamed him ``the Black Pope.''

LaVey's books about Satanism sold more than a half million copies worldwide,
and Singapore banned one, ``The Devil's Notebook'', in 1995, saying it
promoted Satanism and denigrated Christianity.

In recent years, LaVey released several musical recordings like ``Satan Takes a
Holiday,'' an album that included such tunes as ``Honolulu Baby'' and ``Answer
Me.''

Barton said that though LaVey ``got away from the cape thing a long time ago,''
he had further developed his Satanic philosophy and regretted that some people
had the wrong idea.

``Satanists would be the first people to say 'Hey, the laws have to be carried
out,''' Barton said, adding that the Black Pope had long been disdainful of those
``who listen rock'n'roll more than they read the Satanic Bible.''

Besides his daughter Karla and Barton, LaVey is survived by a 4-year-old son,
Xerxes.