There is at least one thing about which Pope Benedict XVI and I are unlikely to reach an agreement: he's a cat lover, and I most definitely am not. Now, however, there are signs that we might come together on the pet question after all. As of yesterday, the Holy Father and I are both turtle owners.To be precise, he is now the owner of an African tortoise given to him as a gift from a tribe of Pygmies in Cameroon. (I, on the other hand, have an American box turtle given to me by my dad.) Whispers has a report, and David Gibson is sharing my frustration over at Pontifications: why isn't there a better photo of the little guy? This is the best one I could find (by AP photographer Andrew Medichini):The CNS report (which refers to a "turtle" -- I won't get into the boring specifics of the turtle/tortoise distinction, but I suspect "tortoise" is the most correct term in this case) says the gift is "a symbol of wisdom in Cameroon." And a little extra wisdom never hurt anyone, especially the pope. As for its fate, Vatican spokesperson and Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi (pictured above) "said he wasn't sure if the turtle would make the return trip to Rome and take up residence in the Vatican. He suggested it might find a home in the Vatican gardens." I think that sounds like an excellent plan -- nothing like a life of luxury in Italy! Now they'll just have to come up with a good name for this new appointee. Any suggestions? (I am also accepting corrections on my attempt at Latin in the title of this post. Google can only do so much.)Now that His Holiness and I are bonding this way, I should offer one word of warning: if the as-yet-unnamed tortoise does immigrate to Vatican City, there's a good chance he could outlive his master (if not the entire Curia). I got my boxie from a pet store when I was in grade school. This past December marked our eighteenth anniversary together. (And I have no idea how old he was when I got him!) He's prowling around my apartment as we speak, and showing no signs of slowing down. I suspect I'll be leaving him to my children someday.