{"podcast":{"title":"Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes","slug":"conspiracy-theories-cults-crimes-7424027","podcast_index_feed_id":7424027,"rss_url":"https://rss.amperwave.net/v2/feed/audacynetwork/conspiracy-theories-cults-crimes","website_url":"https://www.pavestudios.com/crimehouse","image_url":"https://images.castfire.com/image/661/0/0/0/0-8476765.jpg","author":"Crime House","episode_count":119,"summary":"Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes explores true stories of belief taken too far: murderous cults, criminal cover-ups, mass manipulation, and the conspiracies that still won't die. Hosted by Vanessa Richardson, three weekly episodes dig into cases like Jonestown, Heaven's Gate, CIA mind control experiments, and presidential assassinations. This is true crime at the intersection of faith, fear and manipulation. Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes is a Crime House Original, powered by PAVE Studios. Follow us on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to @crimehousestudios on YouTube and follow us @crimehouse on Instagram.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-04T16:17:45.456626+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/conspiracy-theories-cults-crimes-7424027"},"episode":{"title":"CULT: Secrets of Opus Dei","slug":"cult-secrets-of-opus-dei","published_at":"2026-08-19T07:01:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/conspiracy-theories-cults-crimes-7424027/cult-secrets-of-opus-dei","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/conspiracy-theories-cults-crimes-7424027","url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/serve.castfire.com/audio/8530097/8530097_2026-07-21-161537.256.mp3?rssID=5994","audio_url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/serve.castfire.com/audio/8530097/8530097_2026-07-21-161537.256.mp3?rssID=5994","summary":"Founded in Spain in 1928, Opus Dei is a Catholic organization built on discipline, secrecy, and the belief that ordinary life can be a path to holiness. Officially recognized and championed by the Vatican, it has counted powerful politicians, judges, and business leaders among its members. But critics, including many former members, describe something far more troubling behind the devotion: rigid control over members' daily lives, pressure and isolation in recruitment, and the practice of corporal mortification, where the most committed members inflict physical pain on themselves as a form of spiritual discipline. Supporters call it a faithful expression of Catholic tradition, while detractors call it a cult operating with the blessing of the Church. In this episode of Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes, Vanessa Richardson examines the secretive organization at the heart of the Catholic Church, the line between devotion and control, and the question of how much influence Opus Dei really wields inside the Vatican. Head over to our YouTube channel to WATCH our video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@crimehousestudios   If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes to never miss a case! To hear episodes ad-free and released a day early, subscribe to Crime House+. Join at crimehouseplus.com or if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, tap “Try Free” at the top of this show’s page. Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crimes Of Reddit, Serial Killers & Murderous Minds, Crime House 24/7, Murder True Crime Stories and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow me on Social Instagram: @Crimehous…","meta_description":"Founded in Spain in 1928, Opus Dei is a Catholic organization built on discipline, secrecy, and the belief that ordinary life can be a path to holiness. O…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2822,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/conspiracy-theories-cults-crimes-7424027/episodes/cult-secrets-of-opus-dei/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/conspiracy-theories-cults-crimes-7424027/cult-secrets-of-opus-dei.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}