Michigan priest removed by church after making apparent Nazi salute at pro-life event
LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan priest had his license revoked by the Anglican Catholic Church after he made a gesture that "many have interpreted as a pro-Nazi salute" while speaking at the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington, D.C., earlier this month.
Calvin Robinson, previously listed as the priest-in-charge of St Paul's Anglican Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, had appeared to imitate billionaire Elon Musk's inauguration hand gesture during his speech at the Jan. 25 summit. Robinson also appeared to quote Musk before performing the gesture, saying: "My heart goes out to you."
In a statement posted on the Anglican Catholic Church's website Wednesday, the church said it was made aware of a social media post that showed Robinson ending his speech with a gesture that "many have interpreted as a pro-Nazi salute." The church said it revoked Robinson's license and that he no longer serves as a priest in the Anglican Catholic Church.
"While we cannot say what was in Mr. Robinson’s heart when he did this, his action appears to have been an attempt to curry favor with certain elements of the American political right by provoking its opposition," the statement read. "Mr. Robinson had been warned that online trolling and other such actions (whether in service of the left or right) are incompatible with a priestly vocation and was told to desist."
"Furthermore, we understand that this is not just an administrative matter. The Holocaust was an episode of unspeakable horror, enacted by a regime of evil men," the statement added. "We condemn Nazi ideology and anti-Semitism in all its forms. And we believe that those who mimic the Nazi salute, even as a joke or an attempt to troll their opponents, trivialize the horror of the Holocaust and diminish the sacrifice of those who fought against its perpetrators."
In a statement on Facebook, Robinson denied being a Nazi or making a Nazi salute, calling the gesture "a joke."
Who is Calvin Robinson?
Robinson, according to St. Paul's Anglican Catholic Church's website, was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England in 1985. He joined St. Paul as a rector on Sept. 20, 2024.
Robinson was a former computer science teacher and video games journalist. He undertook a two-year course in theological studies at St. Stephen's Home, Oxford, "with hope of becoming a deacon in the Church of England," according to his biography on the church's website.
"His outspoken view on a more conservative theology caused the church to deny his application," the biography noted. He subsequently was ordained a deacon in the Free Church of England, and ordained to the priesthood in the Nordic Catholic Church.
Robinson has a large social media presence with hundreds of thousands of followers on several platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X. Under the National Pro-Life Summit's program, Robinson was described as a "political adviser, TV anchor, radio presenter, conservative commentator and parish priest."
Elon Musk hand gesture draws intense scrutiny
Musk, who owns X and heads President Donald Trump's Department of Governmental Efficiency, was given a VIP seat inside the U.S. Capitol to witness the presidential inauguration last week. During a speech after the inauguration, Musk crossed his right arm over his chest before forcefully extending it out in front of his body in an apparent salute.
"My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilization is assured," he said as he finished the gesture.
The hand gesture was quickly scrutinized online, drawing comparisons to a Nazi salute. Musk dismissed criticism of the gesture as a "tired" attack.
"Did Elon Musk Sieg Heil at Trump's inauguration?" asked the Jerusalem Post.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks antisemitism, called it "an awkward gesture" and implied it was not likely an homage to the "Sieg Heils" salute used in Adolf Hitler's Germany.
Contributing: Davis Winkie, Will Carless and Anna Kaufman, Paste BN; Reuters