The Primate Of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh Dr Seán Brady, congratulated the new Pope this evening.
He described him as a "very humble and unassuming man of great strength of character and integrity".
"The election of our new Pope is not only a source of great joy and hope for Catholics throughout the world, it is also an important event for the whole human family.
"At the beginning of the third millennium we are blessed with a deeper sense of our common humanity and with a shared sense of responsibility in striving for a more just and peaceful world.
"Pope Benedict XVI will play a critical part in progressing this search, in engaging with people of all faiths and none in constructive dialogue about the joy and hopes, the challenges and the fears of the world. This is a daunting prospect."
Dr Brady said the new pontiff had attended the Irish College in Rome and had been planning to go there again. "He certainly knows of our existence and he would be well aware of Pope John Paul II's desire to come back (to Ireland) and hopefully he would get the opportunity of returning and completing that business."
The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, said Pope Benedict possessed an "extraordinary intellect" and theological ability. "The new Pope is universally recognised as a man of extraordinary intellect, of deep spirituality and as one of the leading theologians of the late twentieth century.
The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr John Neill said he hoped the new Pop would "build on the work of the Second Vatican Council and on the ecumenical vision of many since in promoting the unity for which Jesus prayed.
"The mission of Pope Benedict XVI is a daunting one. A reading of his wide-ranging theological works shows both the depth of his spirituality and his ability to challenge the issues of modernity through sensitive insights into the message of Jesus. The entire Church joins in prayer for the new Pope."
Dr Martin will celebrate a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving for Pope Benedict in the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin on Friday evening.
"The Pope is in a unique position to promote respect between those of other faiths as did the late John Paul II. In a globalized world, the united voice of people of faith will be increasingly called upon against the evils of war and poverty.