© 2026 WGCU News
PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Father James Martin has taken heat for his LGBTQ acceptance

A note from Wild Card host Rachel Martin: This show has been a place where I have been able to work through a lot of my own questions about religion, faith, and spirituality – but it comes in through the side door. Our deck of cards usually finds its way to reflection about death and meaning in an organic way.

With this week's guest, there's no side door. We're going right through the front door with Father James Martin. He's arguably one of the most famous Catholic priests in the country thanks to his appearances on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Now he's the host of a new podcast called "The Spiritual Life with Father James Martin."

Copyright 2025 NPR

Rachel Martin is a host of Morning Edition, as well as NPR's morning news podcast Up First.
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • The Town of Fort Myers Beach will begin issuing violation notices in the coming weeks to short-term rental properties that are not registered with the Town. The Town has identified approximately 500 short-term rentals currently operating without the required registration. Many of these rentals are managed by property management companies that have not completed the registration process.
  • The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is boosting safety and convenience along I-75 with upcoming installations. A pre-construction information session covering new interchange construction at I-75 at Toledo Blade Boulevard and Sumter Boulevard in Sarasota County will be held on Tuesday, Jan 6.
  • Animals in south Florida don’t have to worry much about winter cold – and indeed many migrants from areas farther north find suitable living conditions here. But, a trip to the beach or on a rare blustery day sometimes makes one wonder. How do ducks, herons, egrets, and other birds tolerate wading or swimming in cold weather? Aquatic birds, for example, have bare skinny legs with leg muscles placed among insulating feathers.Blood vessels going to and from the very few muscles in the legs and feet lie right next to one another, and cold blood going back into the body is warmed by warmer blood coming from the body – and is nearly the same temperature as the blood circulating in the well-insulated body.