“You can consider my joke crass,” Robinson said. “But I ask you to consider if your responses have been proportionate?”
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ACC Clarifies: Robinson Was Not ‘Defrocked,’ but He Cannot Serve As a Priest in Any ACC Church
On Monday, the ACC released a second statement clarifying the denomination’s actions.
“When Robinson was received into the ACC, he was told that there was a distinction of offices between political activist and parish priest,” the statement said.
“His bishops made it clear to him that he had been received into the Church to minister to a parish,” the statement continued, “and as such, he would have to eschew the provocative political behavior that characterized his prior career as a TV presenter, blogger, and social media influencer.”
“He has not done so, and what happened at the National Right to Life Summit was not an isolated incident,” the ACC said.
“As Robinson himself has said, ‘context is key.’ He was not hired by the ACC to be an official spokesman, social media influencer, or to provoke the ‘hysterical liberals’ (his words) in online culture wars; he was licensed by an ACC bishop to serve as a parish priest,” the ACC said. “He was repeatedly warned not to engage in the sort of behavior that he displayed at the National Right to Life Conference, and he did not comply. As such, his license to serve in the ACC was revoked. In doing so, the bishops acted in accordance with ACC canons.”
The ACC also clarified that it had not “defrocked” or “deposed” Robinson but had merely revoked his ministry license. Defrocking a priest requires “an extended canonical process,” the statement said.
“He is still a priest and is free to return to the Nordic Catholic Church, the Free Church of England, or the Church of England, the three Churches, which since 2022, he has been a member of and subsequently left,” the statement added. “He may also seek a new Church to affiliate with or continue an independent online ministry. What he may not do is serve in the ACC or with its ecumenical partners.”
Nevertheless, the ACC affirmed that it “stands by its original statement,” calling Robinson’s behavior at the pro-life rally “harmful, divisive, and contrary to the tenets of Christian charity.”