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A Michigan priest with the Anglican Catholic Church has been removed from his position after making what appeared to be a Nazi salute during a speech at the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington, DC. Calvin Robinson, who served as the priest-in-charge at St. Paul’s Anglican Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, performed the gesture at the end of his speech on January 25. Robinson quoted Elon Musk, saying, “My heart goes out to you,” before mimicking Musk’s straight-arm motion.
Following the incident, the Anglican Catholic Church revoked Robinson’s license, effectively removing him from his position as a priest. In a statement on the church’s website, the leadership condemned Robinson’s actions, stating, “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. Such actions are harmful, divisive, and contrary to the tenets of Christian charity.”
Robinson defended his actions on his Facebook page, describing the gesture as “a joke” intended to mock those who had labeled Elon Musk a Nazi. “For the record, in case it needs saying: I am not a Nazi,” Robinson wrote. He explained that his attempt at humor was “dry wit, in that typical British way” and insisted that the gesture was not meant to make light of World War II or imply any affiliation with the National Socialist Party.
The video of Robinson’s gesture quickly went viral, drawing comparisons to Elon Musk’s apparent fascist gestures at Trump’s inauguration. Musk later made jokes about the gesture and Nazism on his social media platform X, which many found in poor taste. Last week, Musk made a surprise appearance at a German far-right rally, where he encouraged people to “move beyond” the guilt of past actions, seemingly referring to the Holocaust. “It’s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything,” Musk said.
The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the appropriateness of such gestures and the impact of public figures making light of historical atrocities. The Anglican Catholic Church’s swift action to remove Robinson underscores the seriousness with which they view such behavior. The controversy also highlights the ongoing tensions within public discourse around free speech, humor, and the boundaries of acceptable conduct.
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