Pope Benedict XVI on Monday reviewed work by 60 artists during the debut of a programme he spearheaded hoping to strengthen links between the cultural world and the Roman Catholic Church.

The exhibition, titled "Splendour of the truth, beauty of the Truth", featured mainly European artists, sculptures, architects and musicians who agreed to display their work at the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall.

"I would like to renew to all artists a friendly and passionate appeal," the pope, a music lover, said.

"Never separate artistic creativity of the truth from charity ... but with the richness of your genius, your creative enthusiasm, always be, with courage, seekers of the truth and witnesses of charity," he added.

"Charity makes life a masterpiece and every man an artist," the pope told the assembled artists, some of whom displayed work created specifically for the event, while others exhibited work done previously.

The 104-year-old Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer displayed his designs for the steeple of the main church in Brazilian town Belo Horizonte.