I'm about a month late to this story, but I just found out that former/ongoing Lotus Eaters contributor Father Calvin Robinson was stripped of his license to minister the Western Michigan church he was recruited to oversee last year after doing a Roman Salute at a pro-life conference Jan 25th in the aftermath of Elon's similar gesture 5 days earlier at the Trump inauguration.
I could only find one passing reference to it back in Jan in the US Politics 2 thread in A&N.
Calvin Robinson is a half-black Anglican priest from England. He was previously a personality on GB News, the nominally right-leaning TV station in the UK. He was let go over speaking out in defense of one of his colleagues on the network over some cancel culture BS that I can't recall the specifics. IIRC, Laurence Fox and Dan Wootton went down with him.
Afterwards, he joined Carl's LE network. He was in the regular LE rotation for awhile. He also was given a paywalled Christian-themed show that I believe continues to the present called
Common Sense Crusade.
At some point last year, he announced he was leaving the UK because he didn't feel safe walking the streets as an outspoken Christian priest with all the uppity Muslim hordes. He also felt that there wasn't much political hope after Starmer's election in July.
He was recruited to head an Anglican parish I believe in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
This is apparently the church but their site has since been scrubbed.
Fast forward to Jan 25th, 2025. Robinson is giving a speech at a pro-life event five days after Elon's "My Heart Goes Out to You". Robinson, always an outspoken figure, does a similar gesture poking fun during his time.
Apparently, a complaint was soon submitted to his superior, Bishop Mark Haverland of the Anglican Church. Supposedly within 45 mins, a press release was published revoking his license and condemning his actions.
Archive of Feb 5th press release from Anglican Catholic Church
Robinson makes the distinction that he wasn't officially defrocked, only he is now unlicensed to work for the Anglican church.
Robinson states that at no time did he ever officially speak personally to any of his church superiors.
Two weeks later, while Robinson was visiting Israel, he received an e-mail that his two US visas were revoked and that he should inquire with the US embassy in London rather than return to the US.
Calvin later revealed that he was technically working in the US on a media visa related to his public ministry/speeches/media appearance work rather than a true religious visa.
Robinson mused on his Substack whether he would be safer hanging around the Middle East v. returing to London. He proposed some unsubstantiated speculation that Starmer's government asked the related US departments to revoke his papers in order to force him to repatriate to the UK to be arrested on re-entry similar to Tommy Robinson.
Calvin did eventually decide to return to the UK to stay with friends and family uneventfully while sorting out his visa issues. As of Feb 20th, 2025, he reported that his US visa was reinstated and he had returned to North America.
He declined to appeal his license revocation by the Anglican Church because Bishop Haverland mentioned that any such appeals would be reviewed by his friend Bishop Mead who also apparently hates Robinson.
It seems that Robinson will have to abandon his Grand Rapids, MI Anglican congregation. His plan appear to be that he will remain in the US as a Christian public commentator rather than a true priest. Laurence Fox and some other priest named Brett Murphy were crowdfunding on his behalf.
On his Twitter and his Substack, Robinson has also posted some of the unhinged hate mail he's received triggered by his Roman Salute tribute.
Poast archive
Feb 3rd Substack (
Archive)
Feb 20th Substack (
Archive)