#deuteronomy

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JOKE-OGRAPHY:

The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome is a Catholic feast day celebrating the oldest standing church in the western world, dating back to the early 300s AD! It's also the cathedral of Rome, meaning it's the official seat of the bishop of Rome (the pope). The church is called St. John Lateran, with "St. John" referring to BOTH the big St. Johns (the beloved apostle AND the desert-dwelling baptizer), and "Lateran" referring to the old Roman family who once owned the land around the basilica.

In this cartoon, Fr. Mark begins explaining the basilica to his class. When he mentions the basilica, Agnes -- a recurring character who often mishears and misreads things -- thinks he's talking about the basilisk in the second Harry Potter book. Inadvertently, when Agnes makes this mistake, she's taken advantage of the shared etymological root between "basilica" and "basilisk" -- the Greek word "basileus." - Basileus = king - Basilica = royal palace - Basilisk = little king

Thinking Fr. Mark said the basilisk was Catholic, Agnes assumes that the creature only attacked Harry Potter because, as a Catholic, it was offended by his use of witchcraft. For all I know, this is accurate. I cannot discern the minds of snakes as Harry and Agnes can.