Pope Benedict XVI greets more than 250 leading figures from the world of arts in the Sistine Chapel on Saturday. (Osservatore Romano/Associated Press)

Pope Benedict XVI met with more than 250 artists from around the world on Saturday to foster dialogue between the Catholic Church and the arts.

The Pope addressed his guests in the Sistine Chapel in Rome to thank them for their work, and tell them that the Catholic Church needs their friendship and collaboration to promote the word of God.

"Through your art, you yourselves are to be heralds and witnesses of hope for humanity,'' he said.

But he warned them to guard against "seductive but hypocritical'' beauty that creates "indecency, transgression or gratuitous provocation.''

More than 500 leading arts figures — visual artists, writers, actors and directors and musicians — were invited to meet the Pope. Those who accepted included F. Murray Abraham, the U.S. actor who won an Oscar for best actor in 1985 for his role as Salieri in the Mozart film, Amadeus, and opera star Andrea Bocelli.

The Vatican hasn't said who refused its invitation.

On Friday, the artists toured the Vatican's vast art collection.

The visit took place a decade after Pope John Paul II's 1999 Letter to Artists and nearly a half-century since Pope Paul VI met with artists from around the world in 1964.

Catholic popes have been collecting art for the Vatican museums since the Middle Ages.

The Sistine Chapel, built between 1473 and 1481, is famous for its frescoes by Michelangelo and other Renaissance masters. It is used by the College of Cardinals for papal elections.

With files from The Associated Press