A Miami TV reporter is sent to a local university to do a story on a professor who is cloning a cell from DNA found inside a meteorite. Soon after the reporter leaves, a gunman kills everyone in the professor's lab and steals the cell for a wealthy businessman. When the reporter learns that he is targeted for assassination as well, he enlists the help of two scientists to discover who is behind the crimes, why they stole the cell, and whether or not the cell should be allowed to continue living.

The characters are two ruffians in various disguises: as false priests, they sell a rotten arm pretending it to be a relic of St. Luke; they cheat a stingy friar who abuses of the confessional to get rich and, once he finds out he's been cheated, gives himself sacramental absolution. They help the noble Filippo, disguised as a woman, in the alcove of the innkeeper's wife; they save from despair Fra Martino who had forgotten his underwear in his lover's house (one of them disguised as a cardinal retrieve the garment and expose it as a relic to the devotion of the faithful). To live with their lovers, Brother Jeronimo strives exorcisms and frà Partenope pretends to fight with the devil

The three daughters of Madonna Violante: Nanna, Concetta Fiorenza and have only one thought, to have a good time as much as possible with men. Learning that one of the peasants of the family, Torello, is powerful, attractive, and very handsome, Concetta he brings it into the house. Meanwhile Fiorenza, believing her husband to be out of town for penance, enjoys the favors of a friar.