Send Page to a Friend Jewish Community Extends Congratulations On Election Of Benedict XVI (Boston, April 19)  The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston (JCRC) today released a statement congratulating the Archdiocese of Boston and its faithful on the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI. JCRC President Susan A. Calechman and JCRC Executive Director Nancy K. Kaufman issued the following statement: "The election of Pope Benedict XVI, the first Pope to be elected in the 21st century, is an important milestone for the Catholic faith and communities world-wide. The spirit and legacy of Pope John Paul II paved a new path between Catholic and Jews. Pope John Paul II was a tireless advocate for opening an honest dialogue between communities, and under his guidance, the Catholic and Jewish communities enjoyed a fruitful, harmonious and productive relationship. We look to the continuation of these important conversations with Pope Benedict XVI. As Prelate of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Ratzinger had a distinguished record in Catholic-Jewish relations. He authorized the publication of 'The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible,' a revolutionary theological explanation for the Jews' rejection of Jesus as the Messiah which included the statement "the Jewish messianic wait is not in vain."  He also worked on "Memory And Reconciliation: the Church and the Faults Of The Past," in which the Church outlined its historical 'errors' of its treatment of Jews. We in the Jewish community, look forward to deepening our relationship to the Catholic community under the leadership of Pope Benedict VXI."