Sacred Scandal
SEASON 3: Nation of Saints
In 1980, one man held together a fragile peace in the tiny nation of El Salvador: Archbishop Oscar Romero. When he is brutally and publicly assassinated on the pulpit, his murder starts a war that would leave 75,000 dead, and a million more displaced around the globe. Sacred Scandal season 3, Nation of Saints, follows host Jasmine Romero as she uncovers the holy war that followed the Archbishop's death, and led to an unsolved murder in her own family.
SEASON 2: La Luz del Mundo
Sacred Scandal, named one of Podtrac’s Best New Podcasts of 2022, embarks on its second season, focusing on Mexico-based megachurch La Luz del Mundo (Light of the World). It tells the story of Naasón Joaquín García, a self-proclaimed apostle, who is currently behind bars after pleading guilty in June 2022 of sexually abusing girls from his congregation. Naasón is currently serving a nearly 17-year sentence, but maintains his innocence.
Host and investigative journalist Roberta Garza explores Naasón's control over a multitude of devotees, some of whom now describe their experiences in the church as "pure evil." In this true-crime series, survivors share stories about this powerful religious leader and the alleged sexual abuse that followed, many relating to minors.
SEASON 1:
Two decades ago on a calm, dark Miami night, a nun was stabbed nearly 100 times on the grounds of a prestigious private academy and monastery, by student Mykhaylo Kofel. As investigators started asking questions around this Byzantine Catholic School and the gruesome murder, they found more than just her killer. In a search for answers that stretches into some of the most remote villages of Eastern Europe, they uncovered allegations of sexual abuse, secret letters to the Vatican and other mysteries of faith. Sacred Scandal unravels the fuller picture that came to light in the wake of this crime. Led by a former student, told by those who lived through the aftermath, and Kofel himself, the show pieces together a complicated narrative that, twenty years later, still has those closest to it questioning what they truly believe… including a man who’s spent half his life in prison for the crime: “It’s so unbelievable. It definitely wasn’t me. I’m not a killer. No way. That’s not me.” — Mykhaylo Kofel, 2021
Episodes
The Power of Telling Our Own Stories with Roberto Lovato
An extended interview with writer and professor Roberto Lovato, whose book “Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas” helped inspire the series. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
08/08/24•32m 1s
Living a Dual Identity with Marcella Arguello
A special conversation with Salvadoran American comedian Marcella Arguello, whose giant tattoo of Oscar Romero sparked the series. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
01/08/24•24m 27s
The Future
The rise of President Nayib Bukele, and what that means for El Salvador’s future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
25/07/24•38m 1s
The Gangs
In the aftermath of the Salvadoran Civil War, gangs like MS 13 and Barrio 18 rise to power in the US and El Salvador. Jasmine interviews her aunt Vilma about the murder of her son. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
18/07/24•34m 30s
The Jesuits
The murder of 6 Jesuit priests finally ends the war in El Salvador, and brings into question who really holds the power. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11/07/24•35m 32s
El Mozote
A lonely town in the Salvadoran mountains becomes a symbol for the lies of the government. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
04/07/24•31m 23s
The Flower
Days after Jasmine’s mother, Ana, left for the US, her sister Margarita was “disappeared.” Her body was later discovered on a rural road, along with the bodies of 4 men. Through interviews with her family, Jasmine finally reveals the mystery of who is responsible for the murders. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
27/06/24•25m 27s
A Death in the Family
Jasmine gets an unexpected visit from some cousins, who reveal the reason why her family left for the US. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
20/06/24•33m 37s
The Nuns
The bodies of four American Catholic nuns are found on the side of a rural road. As violence spiraled out of control, this tragic event sounded the alarms in the country that was the biggest sponsor of the Salvadoran military: the United States. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
13/06/24•40m 52s
The Executioner
Roberto D’Aubuisson, a military officer who plotted a coup and came back as a respected political figure, was beloved by some but feared by many. He was a boogeyman of sorts, one that created and led vicious death squads that terrorized El Salvador. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
06/06/24•36m 46s
The Funeral
Following the Archbishop’s murder, thousands gather to mourn Oscar Arnulfo Romero. His funeral becomes the battleground, where the two sides of the war finally show their faces.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
30/05/24•39m 11s
Oscar
On March 24th, 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero was presiding over mass when he was shot through the heart. His gruesome and public murder sent a signal to the people of El Salvador: None of you are sacred. None of you are safe. The Archbishops death would spark a war that would change the lives of thousands of people, including our host, Jasmine Romero. While on a quest to understand the Archbishops murder, she finds deaths in her own family that connect back to the slain priest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
23/05/24•34m 42s
Introducing: Sacred Scandal: Nation of Saints
In 1980, one man held together a fragile peace in the tiny nation of El Salvador: Archbishop Oscar Romero. When he is brutally and publicly assassinated on the pulpit, his murder starts a war that would leave 75,000 dead, and a million more displaced around the globe. Sacred Scandal season 3, Nation of Saints, follows host Jasmine Romero as she uncovers the holy war that followed the Archbishop's death, and led to an unsolved murder in her own family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
16/05/24•2m 43s
La Luz Del Mundo: Finding The Force Within
Leaving a high control group isn’t as simple as walking out through the front door. A cult is not simply a physical location, it’s a lifestyle, a belief system, a community and a state of mind.So is it possible to know if the preacher, the yoga guru, or the beloved politician you, or a loved one, are so taken with, is really a narcissistic psychopath cult leader in disguise? In this episode, we attempt to highlight some of the signs, that can signal the red flags.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10/08/23•37m 47s
La Luz Del Mundo: A Deal With The Devil
Through the perspective of whistleblower Sochil Martin and the emergence of an online forum, we delve into the intricate web of events that led to the downfall of Naason Joaquin, the leader of the controversial religious organization La Luz del Mundo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
03/08/23•39m 41s
La Luz Del Mundo: The Jane Does
The counts against Naason are plenty. The Accusations are damning! And finally, after countless postponements, the five Jane Does get ready to face their abuser in court. But nothing goes as planned.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
27/07/23•37m 55s
La Luz Del Mundo: The Life and Death of Karem Leon
We dive into the life of Karem León to better understand what LLDM has in store for those that dare to push against the church’s airtight defenses.In 1997, Moises Padilla, Amparo Aguilar and Karem Leon spoke out against La Luz del Mundo, but their accusations were ignored, leading to devastating consequences for the victims. When members leave the cult, there’s ongoing trauma. In the case of Karem de Leon – who faced constant threats from the organization – that led to her tragic death. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
20/07/23•28m 42s
La Luz Del Mundo: Show Me The Money
The leaders of LLDM, known as the "royal family," preach about austerity and sacrifice to their followers, but behind the scenes, they live in opulence with luxurious mansions and private zoos. The question remains: where is all this wealth coming from, and what is the true source of the church's financial power? In this episode, we dive into the finances of LLDM and uncover the secrets behind their lavish lifestyle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
13/07/23•37m 24s
La Luz Del Mundo: The Groomers Handbook
Where does the victim end and the perpetrator begin? The story of Alondra Ocampo, Naason's confidant and also a survivor. To understand how Alondra Ocampo: the victim, became Alondra Ocampo: the predator – we take a closer look at the inner workings of the cult - the tight control, the constant fear, the guilt and shame, the psychological manipulation - that is life inside La Luz Del Mundo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
06/07/23•27m 43s
La Luz Del Mundo: The Vestals
The Mexican Press calls them “The Vestals” - a group of women inside LLDM with an unholy task: to groom young boys and girls for the Apostle. Alondra Ocampo’s road to hell on earth began when she was 8 years old. While her parents went to the temple, she went to the kid’s room, unknowingly entering a world of abuse that would continue for over thirty years. A path through the life of both a victim and a vestal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
29/06/23•28m 4s
La Luz Del Mundo: Silence of the Lamb
A woman is shot dead in Guadalajara. There are multiple witnesses. Security camera footage. But no one comes forward and the case remains unsolved. We look at LLDM's deep connections with the police, and their hush-hush operations.LLDM's longstanding connections with influential figures and politicians have helped them evade accountability time and again, but as public scrutiny intensifies, will justice finally be served? In this episode, we explore the extent of LLDM's power and influence, and the growing calls for accountability.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
22/06/23•29m 32s
La Luz Del Mundo: The Apostle's Obsession
We meet Sochil Martin, the whistleblower who played a pivotal role in the downfall of Naasón Joaquín García. Sochil takes us on a journey through her childhood as a faithful member of the church and the dark tasks she was asked to perform as part of her service to the apostle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
15/06/23•35m 16s
La Luz Del Mundo: The Election
We delve into the remarkable expansion of LLDM under the leadership of its second Apostle, Samuel Joaquín García, and trace the origins of LLDM back to its founding Apostle, Aaron Joaquín. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
08/06/23•34m 46s
La Luz del Mundo: Left for Dead
Moises Padilla was brutally attacked, stabbed 68 times after denouncing the heinous crimes committed by the religious group called La Luz del Mundo It was in 1998 when Moises Padilla was brutally attacked, stabbed 68 times after denouncing the heinous crimes committed by the religious group called La Luz del Mundo, the largest cult on earth which, after decades of abuse, has recently come to light.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
01/06/23•32m 0s
La Luz del Mundo: The Fall of The Apostle
Discover the stunning downfall of the leader of religious organization "La Luz del Mundo," Naasón Joaquín García. Join us as we explore the shocking events that rocked the religious organization "La Luz del Mundo" when its leader, Naasón Joaquín García, celebrated his 50th birthday at Mexico City's prestigious cultural center, only to be arrested weeks later on charges of heinous crimes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
25/05/23•31m 56s
Introducing: Sacred Scandal: La Luz del Mundo
Sacred Scandal, named one of Podtrac’s Best New Podcasts of 2022, embarks on its second season, focusing on Mexico-based megachurch La Luz del Mundo (Light of the World). It tells the story of Naasón Joaquín García, a self-proclaimed apostle, who is currently behind bars after pleading guilty in June 2022 of sexually abusing girls from his congregation. Naasón is currently serving a nearly 17-year sentence, but maintains his innocence. Host and investigative journalist Roberta Garza explores Naasón's control over a multitude of devotees, some of whom now describe their experiences in the church as "pure evil." In this true-crime series, survivors share stories about this powerful religious leader and the alleged sexual abuse that followed, many relating to minors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
18/05/23•2m 49s
Introducing: Shoot the Messenger
For lovers of true crime, EXILE Content Studio proudly presents their latest show, Shoot the Messenger: Espionage, Murder, & Pegasus Spyware (subscribe here). Beginning with the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Shoot the Messenger investigates the sophisticated spyware used on his inner circle, Pegasus - and how vulnerable we all might be. Jamal Khashoggi’s life, assassination, and betrayal opened up a timeline for a new digital battle: cyber-surveillance weapons. In 2018, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Turkey and was never seen again. Weeks later, the Turkish intelligence released secret tapes of Khashoggi’s last moments before being brutally murdered, causing an international uproar. It has been four years since Khashoggi’s murder, and what we now know is that the first weapon used against Khashoggi was digital and it’s called Pegasus - a kind of software that can be used to hijack your phone; a military-grade, spyware software. A new biweekly serialized podcast, every season Exile Content Studio investigates one international new story. You may have heard the headlines — this is the deep dive. The first season examines the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and his inner circle that has had the world's most sophisticated military-grade spyware confirmed on their phones. It's called Pegasus. How did this spyware come to be, how does it work, and how vulnerable are you? Shoot the Messenger is hosted by Rose Reid and Nando Vila and is a production of Exile Content Studio.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
08/02/23•45m 28s
Bonus
Melanie and Paula answer questions from listeners, review updates from the war in Ukraine, and discuss stories and interviews that didn't make it to the series.If you want to get in touch, email us on hello@sacredscandalpodcast.com. And for behind-the-scenes photos and videos follow us on Instagram @SacredScandalTo help support the people of Ukraine at this time, visit https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/ukraine-crisis-relief-fund/If you’re concerned about or have experienced abuse in your own place of worship contact the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) https://www.snapnetwork.org/.If you liked the original music from this series, you can listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
14/03/22•35m 56s
A Scapegoat
Melanie and Paula look back on their conversation at the monastery and, as new theories emerge, they try to piece together the truth about what happened at Holy Cross.If you want to get in touch, email us on hello@sacredscandalpodcast.com. And for behind-the-scenes photos and videos follow us on Instagram @SacredScandalTo help support the people of Ukraine at this time, visit https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/ukraine-crisis-relief-fund/If you’re concerned about or have experienced abuse in your own place of worship contact the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) https://www.snapnetwork.org/ Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
07/03/22•48m 19s
The Monastery on the Mountain
With a Russian invasion looming over Ukraine, Melanie and Paula drive to a monastery in the Carpathian Mountains to speak with a priest whose silence has echoed for more than twenty years.Wanna get in touch? Email us at hello@sacredscandalpodcast.com or follow us on Instagram @SacredScandal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
28/02/22•56m 18s
On Transcarpathian Time
Determined to speak to the priests from Holy Cross, Paula and Melanie go on a 5,000-mile mission to find them.Wanna get in touch? Email us at hello@sacredscandalpodcast.com or follow us on Instagram @SacredScandal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
21/02/22•46m 52s
The Time of Troubles
Nearly four years after the murder of Sister Michelle Lewis, Mykhaylo Kofel’s fate is finally decided. And all of the investigations take their toll on Holy Cross Academy, but not before the priests find a new place to call home.Wanna get in touch? Email us at hello@sacredscandalpodcast.com or follow us on Instagram @SacredScandal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
14/02/22•49m 54s
The House of Mirrors
After the priests of Holy Cross Academy refused to cooperate with the murder and sexual abuse investigations, lawyers started to dig into the school’s past on their own. What they found was that years before Sister Michelle’s death, another investigation into Holy Cross already started — and it stretched all the way to the very top of the Catholic Church. Wanna get in touch? Email us at hello@sacredscandalpodcast.com or follow us on Instagram @SacredScandal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
07/02/22•45m 54s
A New Investigation
Mykhaylo Kofel’s accusations against the priests of Holy Cross Academy turned what appeared to be an open-and-shut murder case on it’s head. Those allegations would send both the prosecution and defence teams halfway around the world looking for the truth, and put the monastery on high alert.Hosted by Paula Barros and Melanie Bartley A Production of EXILE Content StudioWanna get in touch? Email us at hello@sacredscandalpodcast.com or follow us on Instagram @SacredScandal. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
31/01/22•47m 23s
The Boy from Verkhovyna-Bystra pt. 2
Now in Miami, the monastic candidates of Holy Cross Academy start to realise that life there isn’t exactly what the priests promised. And one of those monks reveals how a dark secret kept inside the monastery put him on a path to prison.Wanna get in touch? Email us at hello@sacredscandalpodcast.com or follow us on Instagram @SacredScandal.Hosted by Paula Barros and Melanie Bartley A Production of EXILE Content Studio Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
24/01/22•43m 11s
The Boy from Verkhovyna-Bystra pt. 1
In the mid-1990s, a devoutly religious Ukrainian teenager is offered the chance to escape a violent household, for a life-changing opportunity at a Florida monastery. But swapping the hardships of his rural mountain village, for the promise of a better future in America, ends up far worse than his expectations.Wanna get in touch? Email us at hello@sacredscandalpodcast.com or follow us on Instagram @SacredScandal.Hosted by Paula Barros and Melanie Bartley A Production of EXILE Content Studio Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
17/01/22•39m 4s
The Confessional
As detectives start to narrow in on the murder suspect, an unexpected guest arrives at the homicide office. And startling allegations against the monastery change the course of the investigation.Hosted by Paula Barros and Melanie Bartley A Production of EXILE Content Studio Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
03/01/22•25m 24s
The School on Sunset
Twenty years before the murder at Holy Cross Academy, two struggling priests find one another in South Florida. As they build out their utopia, some are awed by their vision, while others start to question their methods.Hosted by Paula Barros and Melanie Bartley A Production of EXILE Content Studio Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
27/12/21•35m 38s
A Murder at Holy Cross
At a monastery in Miami, a nun is found dead in her room just before Sunday Mass. With more than 90 stab wounds, the search for her brutal killer begins.Hosted by Paula Barros and Melanie Bartley A Production of EXILE Content Studio Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
20/12/21•24m 41s
Introducing: Sacred Scandal
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
29/11/21•2m 21s
