Calvin Robinson, priest-in-charge at St. Paul’s Anglican Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, faced significant backlash following a speech at the National Pro-Life Summit on January 25. During his address, he replicated an arm gesture originally made by Elon Musk that many interpreted as a pro-Nazi salute. Subsequently, the Anglican Catholic Church announced that Robinson’s “licence in this Church has been revoked” due to the incident, which they viewed as trivialising the Holocaust.
The Church’s statement expressed that while Robinson’s intentions were unclear, his gesture seemed aimed at appealing to a specific segment of the American political right. In response to the controversy, Robinson stated on Facebook, “in case it needs saying: I am not a Nazi,” asserting that his action was intended as a joke.
Robinson, who hails from England, has previously been known for his conservative stance on various issues, as noted in his church biography. The controversy has sparked discussions about the appropriateness of such gestures, even when intended in jest, highlighting the sensitivity surrounding the representation of historical atrocities.