Fr Calvin Robinson’s priestly licence revoked after arm gesture during speech

Fr Calvin Robinson, a priest of the Anglican Catholic Church and an outspoken public commentator, has had his licence to minister within his Church revoked.

The decision follows Fr Robinson’s passionate speech at the National Right to Life Summit held in Washington, DC, where he highlighted the witness of tens of thousands of Americans who attended this year’s March for Life – including the attendance of Vice President JD Vance – and which also occurred in the US capital.

In his speech, Fr Robinson contrasted the progress of the pro-life movement in the US with the increasing efforts to restrict pro-life activities in the UK, alongside a culture of death taking hold in much of Europe.

That wasn’t what got him in trouble. The decision to strip him of his priestly powers is based on the end of the speech, at which point Fr Robinson mimicked a strange one-armed salute that Elon Musk made during President Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities – and which garnered much attention and controversy at the time.

Fr Robinson, at the end of his speech, said: “God bless all of you for what you are doing, please keep doing it, I hope that I can encourage you,” before adding, “My heart goes out to you” – using the same words said by Musk as well as mimicking the salute used by the famous billionaire.

Musk faced widespread criticism in the wake of the salute, as many felt it was intended as a sign of Nazism.

However, Musk dismissed the accusations, writing on his social media platform X: “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks.”

Others have defended Musk by noting the context of what he said, especially the words “My heart goes out to you”, while clearly striking his breast before making, as even his defenders admit, a somewhat clumsy gesture that could be open to misinterpretation in the current climate of accusations and counter accusations.

Fr Robinson appeared to allude to, if not mimic, all this, for which he has been censored by his Church.

He began his priestly studies at St Stephen’s House, Oxford, but his application for curacy in the Anglican Diocese of London was denied. Subsequently revealed email exchanges between the Bishop of Fulham and the Bishop of Edmonton raised concerns about Robinson’s “libertarian, anti-woke, anti-identity politics, Covid-sceptical” political views.

Following this, Robinson left the Church of England and joined the Free Church of England, known for its more conservative approach to doctrine and practice. He was ordained a deacon in the Free Church in 2022 but later left for the Nordic Catholic Church, a member of the Union of Scranton, which is also known for its conservative approach. The Catholic Church recognises the validity of the sacraments of Churches within the Union of Scranton, meaning that when Robinson was ordained for the Church in November 2023, his orders were valid according to Catholic teaching.

Subsequently, Robinson left the United Kingdom for the United States, and in September 2024, he was formally incardinated in the Anglican Catholic Church, known for its high Anglo-Catholic practice. He was then made priest-in-charge of St Paul’s Anglican Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

A statement from the Anglican Catholic Church explained that Fr Robinson, who was known for his outspoken conservative opinions before his arrival in Michigan, “was told he would have to eschew the provocative political behaviour that characterised his prior career as a TV presenter, blogger and social media influencer.”

The statement continues: “He was repeatedly warned not to engage in the sort of behaviour that he displayed at the National Right to Life Conference, and he did not comply. As such, his licence to serve in the ACC was revoked. In doing so, the bishops acted in accordance with ACC canons.”

The ACC further clarified that Fr Robinson has not been “defrocked” or “deposed” and that he is still a priest, but that he cannot “serve in the ACC or with its ecumenical partners”.

Responding to the controversy, Fr Robinson wrote in a post on X (which includes a video of the “offending” gesture): “I am not a Nazi. But I forgive you for your ignorance. My heart goes out to you!”

The gesture occurred as follows, in terms of the wider text of his speech:

“This I see as the last stand for the West,” Fr Robinson says. “This is the last stand for Christendom. It’s make or break time. The whole of the Old World is crumbling. Every country in Europe is embracing death.

“America, as far as I can see, is the only country fighting for life – and that’s down to you guys. So God bless all of you for what you are doing.

“Please keep doing it. I hope that I can encourage you. My heart goes out to you – [at which point he strikes his chest and then extends his right arm and hand] – God bless.”

As he makes the gesture and ends his speech, laughter and reactive noise can be heard among the crowd, presumably in recognition of him using the same “controversial” gesture as Musk.

Some have highlighted the absurdity of Fr Robinson being accused of Nazism, particularly given that he is of mixed racial heritage.

Nevertheless, the editorial team of his video game website, GodisaGeek.com, which covers video game news, have all resigned following the incident. A statement on the website reads: “We will create a new site, and our future content will be published there, bereft of any connection to Calvin Robinson.”

Photo: Fr Calvin Robinson making his speech at the National Right to Life Summit, Washington, DC, USA, 29 January 2025. (Screenshot from video.)

The post Fr Calvin Robinson’s priestly licence revoked after arm gesture during speech first appeared on Catholic Herald.

The post Fr Calvin Robinson’s priestly licence revoked after arm gesture during speech appeared first on Catholic Herald.