Pope Benedict XVI has defended celibacy among priests, saying it was a sign of "full devotion" to the Catholic Church.

He was speaking at a theological conference before meeting Germany's top bishop for talks about a new crisis over the sexual abuse of children. German Bishop Robert Zollitsch apologised again to victims of abuse by German priests. The Archbishop of Vienna had suggested that the Church should examine celibacy and priests' training.

Europe's Catholic paedophile scandal now affects institutions in Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany.

But the Pope said on Friday that celibacy is "the sign of full devotion, the entire commitment to the Lord and to the 'Lord's business', an expression of giving oneself to God and to others". He defended "the value of sacred celibacy, which in the Latin Church is... required for ordination and is held in great regard by Eastern Churches".

At the Pope's meeting with Bishop Zollitsch, details of accusations made in some 170 cases of abuse by German priests were discussed. Among the German cases are alleged abuses at a boys' choir in the 1950s and 1960s. The choir was once run by the Pope's brother, but he has said the alleged abuse occurred before he took up his post.

Mr Denef expects the scale of the scandal to grow. "For every 10 people you hear saying they were abused, you can be sure there are another ten thousand victims staying silent."