The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, has said the new Pope Benedict XVI is a man of "extraordinary intellect, of deep spirituality and of exceptional theological knowledge".
In his homily during the Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving on the election of the new Pope in the Pro Cathedral in Dublin this evening, Dr Martin said the choice of the name Benedict for the new Pope is "a clear indication of a desire that a future Europe be a Europe of values".
The new Pope has a particular devotion to the figure of Saint Benedict, who in his time played an extraordinary role in Christian renewal around Europe, Dr Martin said.
And he said the Pope is called to be "a rock of solidarity" for the Catholic church in the current world context.
However, the Archbishop said Pope Benedict would do so "perhaps in a different manner" to his immediate predecessor, Pope John Paul II, relying perhaps on "that extraordinary gift that he has received for spirituality, reflection and interiority".
"Pope Benedict is a scholar with a remarkable gift of language in expressing deep insights into the faith.
"He is a reserved person, with great human warmth, a simple almost frugal style of life, a man of prayer and spiritual depth. At his first appearance, Pope Benedict XVI stressed how much he owed to Pope John Paul II. The two Popes have much in common and yet there are differences."
The Archbishop questioned how to establish a Europe of values, a culture of modernity inspired by values and a culture of "values and solidarity".
He said the new Pope Benedict XVI faces the challenge of leading the Church in these coming years in a complex, cultural context. Dr Martin said the cultures of our times must be examined and discerned "in terms of how they foster human dignity".
Dr Martin remarked that just three weeks ago, people were gathered in the Pro Cathedral on another Friday evening to pray during the final illness of Pope John Paul II.
"We then watched the extraordinary period of mourning of a great Pope.
"My abiding memory of the funeral is the moment in which the coffin of the deceased Pope was carried back into Saint Peter's Basilica.
"For one who was in the same Saint Peter's Square on that October evening in 1978, when he first appeared from out of the same Basilica, there was something definitive about that scene. It was the end of something quite extraordinary, the earthly life and mission of Karol Wojtyla," he said.
But he said the life and mission of the church moves on from one generation to the next and that after a period of dignified mourning, it was time to await the announcement of a successor.
"There was particular joy at the rapidity of the election. The rapidity was the sign that there was broad consensus among the cardinals regarding the choice of the new Pope: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a man of extraordinary intellect, of deep spirituality and of exceptional theological knowledge, who responding to the indications of the spirit, accepted his new responsibilities and took the name Pope Benedict XVI," he said.
Dr Martin said the past few weeks had been "remarkable".