Vatican City ( CNN ) -- Pope Benedict XVI is distraught by news of a scandal involving allegations of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Germany , Germany 's highest-ranking Catholic said Friday . Freiburg Archbishop Robert Zollitsch , president of a conference of German bishops , discussed the scandal in a meeting with the pope Friday . The archbishop said he did not believe that priests ' celibacy caused the sexual-abuse problem . The pope later reaffirmed his support for priestly celibacy as well , telling a separate group that `` it is an expression of the gift of the self to God and to others . '' Zollitsch 's meeting with the pope unfolded against the backdrop of a growing scandal involving sex-abuse allegations in Catholic Church institutions in Germany . Nearly every day since the end of January , people have come forward to report cases of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in the nation . News reports put the number of cases at about 170 . The scandal took a new turn Friday , when news broke that 30 years ago , Pope Benedict XVI -- who was an archbishop at the time -- approved providing a priest accused of child sex abuse church accommodations in his diocese so the priest could undergo therapy . The German diocese of Munich and Freising said in a statement Friday that the man who is today the pope was involved in the decision . The priest , who was not identified in the statement , was let go from church service in 2008 , the statement said . The Vatican had no comment . After their meeting , Zollitsch said that the pope encouraged Catholic leaders in Germany to continue investigating the allegations . Zollitsch said he told the pope that he , too , is dismayed by the allegations of `` abuse and acts of violence . '' `` I 've already , a few weeks ago , asked for forgiveness to the victims and I would like to repeat it today , '' he said . `` We are ready to confront our responsibility , and we can not be excused for what has happened , '' he said . `` It is not just a German problem , '' he said . `` It is a problem that concerns many countries . '' Zollitsch has addressed the issue before . `` Sexual abuse weighs extremely heavily in the context of the church because children and youth put so much trust in priests , '' he has said . `` There must be no sexual abuse -- especially in the church . ''
Pope distraught by Church sex abuse scandal , Germany 's top Catholic says . Freiburg Archbishop Robert Zollitsch discussed scandal with Benedict XVI . About 150 people have reported cases of sexual abuse by Catholic priests . Pope encourages Catholic leaders in Germany to continue investigating allegations .