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. 

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.

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

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

Sacred Scandal

Oscar

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. 

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.

The Nuns

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7afbefac-f844-44c3-9a91-b176013a8b7c/transcript

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. 

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.

The Executioner

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b000f3c2-e029-4107-ac1b-b1760138ee17/transcript

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.

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.

Oscar

In 1 playlist(s)

Sacred Scandal

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips