ITALY — As complex and confusing as the mystery of the Da Vinci Code may be, the conservative religious response to it both in book and film version may be nearly as complex and confusing. A mere day after investigation into obscenity complaints filed by a collection of clergy from the small Italian city of Civitavecchia began, the charges have been dropped.

The religious body had urged the state attorney’s office to look at both Dan Brown’s book and the Ron Howard film that was made from it, because they claimed that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had married and had children, something the group considered obscene for religious reasons and in violation of Article 528 of the Italian Penal Code.

Although officials at the state attorney’s office state that the decision was made based on the merits of the case, local media is said to contend that it stems from the fact that international press on the subject was almost universally negative.

“There are no grounds for this investigation,” a representative for the government is quoted by Reuters as stating.

This means that Howard and Brown, both currently collaborating on Angels and Demons, a sequel, can do so within the country without fear of arrest or prosecution.