Sacred Scandal

iHeart Podcast Network

SEASON 4: The Many Secrets of Marcial Maciel The Many Secrets of Marcial Maciel is a gripping investigative podcast uncovering the shocking life and crimes of Marcial Maciel, the founder and former leader of the Legion of Christ. Praised as a holy...

Location:

United States

Networks:

iHeart Podcast Network

Description:

SEASON 4: The Many Secrets of Marcial Maciel The Many Secrets of Marcial Maciel is a gripping investigative podcast uncovering the shocking life and crimes of Marcial Maciel, the founder and former leader of the Legion of Christ. Praised as a holy figure, Marcial Maciel lived a life of abuse, manipulation, and deception. Hosted by Elena Sada, a survivor and former high-ranking member of the organization, this series explores Maciel's rise to power, his extensive abuse, and his eventual downfall. 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

Language:

English

Episodes

Introducing: Betrayal s5

1/31/2026

Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. Listen here and subscribe to Betrayal s5 on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:03:05

Introducing: The Brothers Ortiz

12/13/2025

The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions. Listen here and subscribe to The Brothers Ortiz on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:01:04

Interview with Steve Hassan

11/27/2025

In our last episode, we ask ourselves… Was Elena Sada part of a cult? We sat down to talk with Dr. Steven Hassan, an American mental health professional and author who specializes in cults, undue influence, and mind control. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:29:22

Interview with Ciro Cómez Leyva

11/20/2025

An exclusive interview with Mexican journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva. In this special episode, Ciro explains the struggle he went through before breaking the news about Marcial Maciel’s crimes in 1997. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:16:16

Rebirth

11/13/2025

Despite distance, memories persist, symbolized by a mysterious package. Elena recounts rebuilding a life in New York, finding solace in writing, and challenging the narrative of Marcial Maciel. The episode also tellsthe story of Mariana Martínez, another former member who found a new path after leaving the consecrated life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:35:39

Like father, like father

11/6/2025

When an eight-year-old girl in Cancún revealed that her priest had abused her, her family’s search for justice exposed a powerful network determined to protect its own. Decades later, her story would echo in Chile, Mexico, and beyond—revealing that Marcial Maciel was not an exception, but a reflection of something far darker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:27:34

The Quiet End

10/30/2025

Maciel’s death unleashed a storm of conflicting emotions throughout the Legion of Christ. While some mourn, others grapple with the dark truth of his legacy. The shocking revelation of the Legion’s secret wealth emerges, exposing a stark contrast between their public message of religious devotion and their private accumulation of riches. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:29:16

The family trips

10/23/2025

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:32:49

After the fall

10/16/2025

Elena Sada experienced heart-wrenching moments within the Legion of Christ. Her path to freedom was filled with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Meanwhile, at the Vatican, winds were beginning to change. The protective mantle that had sheltered Marcial Maciel for decades was starting to unravel, and many saw a glimmer of hope for achieving justice. But what was about to be revealed was merely the tip of the iceberg. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:30:03

Forgiven but not forgotten

10/9/2025

In 1990s Mexico, amid political chaos and a visit from Pope John Paul II, a priest named Alberto Atie learns about shocking secrets involving a prominent figure, Marcial Maciel. After agreeing to help a former legionary priest seek justice, Atie begins a painful fight within the Church’s system, a fight that would span decades. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:34:30

The pains

10/2/2025

In 1960s Spain, Marcial Maciel’s desperate search for morphine hints at a hidden addiction and a dark undercurrent to his revered image. Years later, Jason Berry’s explosive article threatens to expose Maciel’s secrets, but Jose Barba refuses to let the truth be buried. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:35:58

I started hearing rumors

9/25/2025

After years of investigating abuse in the Catholic Church, journalist Jason Barry is ready for a quieter life. But when a mysterious box of documents arrives on his doorstep, he’s pulled into a new investigation. This time, the allegations point to a powerful Mexican priest, Marcial Maciel, and a cover-up that reaches the highest levels of the Vatican. The archival audio clips used in this episode come from the Oscars. The title of the referenced news article comes from The Hartford Courant. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:34:10

A Personal Message From the Pope

9/18/2025

When Elena Sada was eight, she met a priest who would change the course of her life forever. This priest, Marcial Maciel, founded the Legion of Christ, which became one of the world’s largest and wealthiest Catholic institutions. As a child, Elena was drawn into Maciel’s world, attending a Legionary school and eventually dedicating 21 years of her life to the organization. But behind the holy facade lay dark secrets. The archival audio clips used in this episode come from Rome Reports, Milenio and Televisa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:47:57

The Spell

9/18/2025

Elena Sada recounts her early experiences with the Legion of Christ, including the moment she felt “chosen” by its founder, Marcial Maciel. Lourdes Barroso shares her story of being personally invited by Maciel to become a consagrada. Both women describe the “spell” that Maciel cast, blurring their perceptions and leading them down a path of strict obedience and hidden manipulation. As the women are molded into ideal servants, they are tasked with recruiting new members and raising funds, becoming key players in the Legion’s expansion and financial empire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:39:32

Introducing: Sacred Scandal: The Many Secrets of Marcial Maciel

9/11/2025

Sacred Scandal is back for a fourth season. The Many Secrets of Marcial Maciel is a gripping investigative podcast that uncovers the mysteries behind one of the Catholic Church’s most powerful and controversial figures. Through the voice of Elena Sada—a former consecrated lady in the Legion of Christ—the series exposes Marcial Maciel’s double life of abuse, fraud, and manipulation, as well as the silence and complicity that allowed him to thrive. Blending survivor testimony and in-depth reporting, the show reveals how faith, power, and secrecy collided to protect a predator, and how those who lived inside his empire found the strength to break free. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:01:00

Introducing: Law & Order: Criminal Justice System S2

8/23/2025

Law & Order: Criminal Justice System is back with Season Two, turning its focus to a threat that hides in plain sight, harder to predict and even harder to stop: terrorism. Hear the real stories from those who lived it, worked it, and risked everything to confront it. Listen here and subscribe to Law & Order: Criminal Justice System S2 on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:02:29

Introducing: The Girlfriends: Jailhouse Lawyer

7/19/2025

What does it mean to be a victim, or a villain? What happens when the line between the two starts to blur? On 7th July 2010, Kelly Harnett says her abusive boyfriend murdered a man right in front of her. So how did she end up in prison for it? Anna Sinfield - the journalist behind the global number 1 podcast, The Girlfriends, returns with her toughest story yet. This series isn’t a whodunnit. It’s not even really about what happened. It’s about how a woman who was a victim of domestic violence became a villain in the eyes of the law. Found guilty of murder and locked up for over a decade; Kelly Harnett taught herself the law. And as she battled to overturn her conviction, she became a beacon of hope, fighting for the freedom of the abused women locked up alongside her. Listen here and subscribe to The Girlfriends: Jailhouse Lawyer on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:05:29

Introducing: Cold Case Files: Miami

6/19/2025

Hello, Sacred Scandal Fans! We want to share our new show, "Cold Case Files: Miami." About the show: Joyce Sapp, 76; Bryan Herrera, 16; and Laurance Webb, 32—three Miami residents whose lives were stolen in brutal, unsolved homicides. Cold Case Files: Miami follows award‑winning radio host and City of Miami Police reserve officer Enrique Santos as he partners with the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, determined family members, and the advocates who spend their lives fighting for justice for the victims who can no longer fight for themselves. Listen here and subscribe to "Cold Case Files: Miami" on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:02:05

Introducing: My Friend Daisy

3/28/2025

Hello, Sacred Scandal Fans! We want to share our new show, "My Friend Daisy." About the show: After 19-year-old Daisy De La O was murdered outside her Compton apartment, her friends and family looked to authorities to make an arrest. When that didn’t happen, they took matters into their own hands. Their secret weapon? TikTok. The online videos spawned an international manhunt, rallying amateur detectives to do something radical: Help catch a killer. From London Audio, iHeart Radio, and executive producer Paris Hilton, My Friend Daisy is a ten-part investigative series written and hosted by L.A. journalist Jenn Swann. Each episode dives deep into the murder investigation and its fallout, exposing what went wrong, how it went viral, and why American communities are turning to social media to find justice. After 19-year-old Daisy De La O was murdered outside her Compton apartment, her friends and family looked to authorities to make an arrest. When that didn’t happen, they took matters into their own hands. Their secret weapon? TikTok. The online videos spawned an international manhunt, rallying amateur detectives to do something radical: Help catch a killer. Listen here and subscribe to "My Friend Daisy" on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:01:41

Introducing Marketplace: Hanif Abdurraqib on what it means to “make it”

1/30/2025

To kick off Marketplace’s season premiere, we’re sharing a conversation with one of our favorite writers, Hanif Abdurraqib. He joins Reema for a wide-ranging discussion about the moral judgments often made regarding people’s financial circumstances, notions of success and legacy, and what it means to be “good” versus “bad” in an unequal world. Hanif also opens up about one of the most challenging financial moments of his life and his commitment to giving away a significant portion of his income. Hanif is an award-winning poet, cultural critic, and author from Columbus, Ohio. He’s written six books, several of which are bestsellers, including his most recent, “There’s Always This Year.” His work spans sports, pop culture, and politics, often focusing on issues of race and class, while also exploring themes of grief, beauty, and love. Hanif has received a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” and was a finalist for the National Book Award, among other accolades. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:36:50