From the Associated Press comes this story of May 12, 2009. NEW YORK—"A Roman Catholic archbishop who resigned in 2002 over a sex and financial scandal involving a man describes his struggles with being gay in an upcoming memoir about his decades serving the church. Archbishop Rembert Weakland, former head of the Milwaukee archdiocese, said in an interview Monday that he wrote about his sexual orientation because he wanted to be candid about "how this came to life in my own self, how I suppressed it, how it resurrected again." Called "A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop," the book is set to be released in June. "I was very careful and concerned that the book not become a Jerry Springer, to satisfy people's prurient curiosity or anything of this sort," Weakland told The Associated Press. "At the same time, I tried to be as honest as I can." Weakland stepped down soon after Paul Marcoux, a former Marquette University theology student, revealed in May 2002 that he was paid $450,000 to settle a sexual assault claim he made against the archbishop more than two decades earlier. The money came from the archdiocese. "

The heart of the compassionate Christian can grieve with the former archbishop over his struggle with his sexual orientation. Any person who has wrestled with any form of spiritual bondage knows how difficult it is to be fundamentally and forever different. Being religious is not enough as the Archbishop can testify. The hope for the Archbishop and for any person pursuing holiness in the sight of God is redemption through the new birth followed by gospel obedience in practical Christian living.

But here is the reality. Time and again a conscious decision is made not to consult the Scriptures on the will of the Lord on a given matter; time and again a conscious decision is made not to obey Christ.

If the Archbishop still wishes to be made whole then let him heed this counsel. First, do not say to yourself, "I am weak." Speak truth to self and say, "I am wicked." The apostle Paul did. As Paul struggled with inbred corruptions he cried out, O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Romans 7:24). Second, believe that Christ will deliver you from this moral aberration. Again, there is apostolic example. Paul cried out in hope, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 7:25). Third, obey the Scriptures. In particular realize that you have followed a doctrine of demons for that is what forced celibacy is called in the Bible. 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. The text is translated correctly in the Catholic Bible as well and says the same thing. Those who forbid others to marry are teaching a doctrine of devils and the results are obvious for the world to witness.

Finally, the Archbishop should immediately withdraw his book from publication. I know he wants to be loved. He says so. It appears he wants money. But his story, according to the interview with the Associated Press, will only serve to justify the unjustifiable and will lead others into the same evil he has struggled with himself. Paul writes of those whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake (Titus 1:11). The mouth of the Archbishop should be stopped, by himself. He has done enough damage already to the church.