Catholic Priest Convicted of Strangling Nun to Get Full Funeral Honors: Should He?

By John Luciew
PennLive
July 10, 2014

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2014/07/catholic_priest_convicted_of_s.html

The Rev. Gerald Robinson died July 4 at a hospice at age 76. On Friday, he will be buried in Toledo with a full Roman Catholic funeral mass befitting a priest. Should he be? (screen shot/file)

The man of the cloth was convicted of strangling a nun to death in northwest Ohio in 1980. The convicted Catholic priest, the Rev. Gerald Robinson, died July 4 at a hospice at age 76. On Friday, he will be buried in Toledo with a full Roman Catholic funeral mass befitting a priest, according to the Associated Press.

But the question remains: Should he be buried with full honors as a priest of the Catholic church?

After all, at the time of his death, Robinson was serving a life prison sentence for strangling Sister Margaret Ann Pahl at the hospital where they worked. Yet, Robinson remained a priest even after his murder conviction.

Organizations that help victims of clergy abuse don't think that the convicted Robinson should be buried as a priest. These groups are upset that the Toledo diocese will observe the usual protocol for priests' funerals, the AP reported.

For its part, the diocese says Robinson would receive a priest's funeral because he remained a priest after his conviction, although he was not permitted to take part in public sacramental ministry, AP wrote.

Mass is set for Friday morning in Toledo.

jluciew@pennlive.com