Michigan priest’s licence revoked after mimicking Elon Musk’s gesture, interpreted by some as a Nazi salute

A Michigan priest had his licence revoked by the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC) after mimicking a gesture made by Elon Musk during a speech earlier this month.

Calvin Robinson, who is listed as the priest-in-charge of St. Paul's Anglican Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, performed a gesture at the end of a January 25 speech at the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington, D.C., which some interpreted as a Nazi salute.

Details of the Statemens

The ACC released a statement on January 28, announcing that Calvin Robinson’s “license in this Church has been revoked” after he made a “gesture that many have interpreted as a pro-Nazi salute.”


“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 favour 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. Clearly, he has not, and as such, his license in this Church has been revoked. He is no longer serving as a priest in the ACC,” read the statement.

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It went to further explain that the Holocaust was a horrific event, and the organisation strongly condemns Nazi beliefs and anti-Semitism. It added that mimicking the Nazi salute, even if meant as a joke or to provoke others, trivialised the suffering caused by the Holocaust and disrespected those who fought against the Nazis.

Background of the Incident

On January 20, Elon Musk made a gesture during a speech where he slapped his chest, extended his arm with his palm down, and said, "My heart goes out to you."

On January 25, Robinson, quoting Musk, repeated the phrase "my heart goes out to you" and copied the same arm gesture.

Robinson later explained on Facebook that he was just joking and emphasised that he is not a Nazi.

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FAQs:

1. What is a pro-Nazi salute?
A pro-Nazi salute refers to a hand gesture historically associated with the Nazi regime in Germany during World War II.

2. What happened during the Holocaust?
During the Holocaust (1941-1945), Nazi Germany, under Adolf Hitler, systematically murdered six million Jews, along with millions of others, including Romani people, disabled individuals, and political dissidents.