Two-Faced: John of God

Episode 1: The Last Hope

Host: Martina Castro
Date: February 4, 2026
Podcast Network: Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

Overview

In this gripping first episode of Two-Faced: John of God, host Martina Castro begins an in-depth investigation into João Teixeira de Faria—globally known as John of God—whose reputation as a miracle-working spiritual healer in Brazil attracted millions seeking hope and cures for incurable illnesses. The episode exposes the world he built, the desperation of his followers, and hints at the dark secrets lurking beneath his holy empire, setting the stage for a series exploring faith, power, and the danger of belief.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. John of God: The Miraculous Healer

• Vivid Description of a Ceremony ([02:05])
  • Martina Castro recounts a graphic, infamous healing procedure: John of God (in his late 60s, dressed in white, on stage) channels a 1940s doctor spirit, and, without anesthesia, performs a shocking ritual—twisting surgical scissors deep into a patient's nose in front of a crowd.
  • “What happens next is as bizarre as it is disturbing... Then, all of a sudden, the doctor pulls the scissors out of the patient’s nose, letting out a tiny stream of blood.” ([03:15])
  • This is just one of countless similar videos available online, showcasing “miracles” for his enthralled followers.

2. Celebrity and Elite Endorsement

• John of God's reputation attracted politicians, business owners, and even celebrities like Oprah ([05:32]), fueling a global pilgrimage to his "spiritual hospital" in Brazil.
• “He had healed the wives of ministers, presidents and politicians and owners of big companies, and they were... Even Oprah has gone to see him.” – Anapaula ([05:32])

3. The Power of Desperation and Faith

• Desperation is a recurring theme—people gravitate to John of God as a last hope when modern medicine fails.
• Personal stories:
  • Anapaula, whose father, diagnosed with late-stage brain cancer, sought a miracle at the Casa de Dom Inácio de Loyola in Abadiânia, Brazil.
  • “I went there. You’re playing with your belief because you really want to live. All you have is faith. Faith.” – Martina Castro ([07:13])

4. Origins and Scale of the Movement

• Abadiânia is described as a “nowhere town” transformed into a bustling destination for the gravely ill and spiritual seekers from around the world ([11:32]).
• The Casa (John of God’s spiritual hospital) becomes an international hub, supported not just by faith but by a sophisticated ecosystem: tour guides (like Michael Bailot), volunteers, and spiritual tourists.

5. Experiencing the Casa: Rituals and Environment

• The atmosphere is meticulously crafted: visitors dressed in white, barefoot, “blissed out” on the idea of hope and healing ([17:14]-[18:14]).
• Tim Elliott, an Australian journalist, shares:
  • “When you get there... you have literally thousands of people in white milling around and everyone tells you how they’ve been saved by this person. After a while I was like, well, can all these people be wrong?” ([18:29])

6. Mechanics of a Healing Session

• The healing process is elaborate, involving three main rooms:
  1. First Room: Detoxification through meditation and prayer ([21:03])
     • “It was as if... like a car wash. The person goes through the first room and receives a heavier cleaning.” – Marcelo Stoduto
  2. Second Room: Personal encounter with John of God; he sits amidst crystals, flanked by followers, briefly interacting with each seeker's energy ([22:08]-[22:40]).
  3. Third Room: "Invisible surgeries" performed for groups.
• Sometimes, physical “surgeries”—the notorious scissor-in-nose—are performed by request.

7. Practical and Spiritual Prescriptions

• Most leave with “prescriptions”—identical pills of blessed water or passion flower, said to be spiritually tailored ([28:12]).

8. Insider Perspectives and Red Flags

• Marcelo Stoduto, a former insider, compares the process to “a labor of love,” yet emphasizes it’s about spiritual transformation rather than literal cure ([19:43], [24:17]).
• Not all treatment is equal—Anapaula, whose father was a respected lawyer, notes preferential treatment for influential visitors ([29:17]).
• Small gestures—gifts, personal attention—create an environment of acceptance and belief, even as unease grows for some.

9. Foreshadowing of Abuse and Corruption

• The episode builds towards a pivotal moment of betrayal:

  • Anapaula recounts being called alone into John of God’s office:
    “As soon as I entered, not only he closed it, but he locked it with a key. At that moment, I felt bad.” ([30:35])
  • She is told this is a special treatment for her father, highlighting how "he gained almost blind trust from his followers." ([32:10])

• The episode ends with the promise to uncover how João became “John of God”—and how faith and community protect their leader, even as darker truths emerge.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If I were desperate to heal myself or someone I love, I can absolutely imagine myself getting on an airplane to the middle of nowhere to find a miracle cure.” – Martina Castro ([07:13])
• “All you have is faith. Faith.” – Martina Castro ([07:13])
• “I have stage four cancer and it’s metastasized and I’m in agony every day. Help me.” – Michael Bailot (as recounted, [14:00])
• “He represented a pillar of a labor of love by hundreds of thousands of people.” – Marcelo Stoduto ([19:43])
• “So very quickly they learned that they had to protect him and protect the possibility of him to cure people, you know—to run the business. It’s a business and everyone around him knew they were part of the business...” – Anapaula ([32:41])
• “He has always been very pleased to be the greatest healer in the world. The vanity is expressed there.” – Marcelo Stoduto ([32:33])

Timestamps for Major Sections

• [02:05] – Graphic description of a “healing” procedure
• [05:32] – John of God’s famous clientele and celebrity draw
• [11:32] – Arrival in Abadiânia
• [13:01-14:54] – International draw & accounts from Michael Bailot (tour guide)
• [17:14] – The ritual begins: atmosphere at the Casa
• [21:03] – Mechanics of the “healing” rooms (Marcelo Stoduto explains)
• [22:08-22:40] – Tim Elliott’s personal encounter
• [29:09] – Anapaula describes her family’s experience, hints at abuses
• [30:35] – Anapaula’s pivotal (and ominous) solo encounter

Tone and Style

The episode masterfully balances skepticism, empathy, and immersive storytelling. Martina Castro, with her journalistic background and a personal openness to spiritual questions, guides listeners through a world where faith and desperation collide—never dismissing hope outright, but always questioning how far belief can be pushed before it becomes dangerous.

Next Episode Preview

The story will continue to dig into João’s rise from humble beginnings to near-mythic status, and the mechanisms by which a movement protected him—even as fraud, abuse, and mysterious deaths began to surface.

This summary is designed as a comprehensive companion for listeners and non-listeners alike, capturing the episode’s core content, insights, memorable moments, and emotional resonance.