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Abstract: THE CITY, THE CHURCH AND THE CATHOLICS The war years induced diverse feelings and positions in the Catholic community in Rome and while criticism was not expressed openly, there was a prevailing sense of uneasiness and discomfort which contributed considerably to a gradual distancing of the community from Fascism. This state of made can be perceived both through the preaching of the clergy and in the increasing participation in religious life, in collective forms of piety, such as the devolution to the Our Lady of Divine Love, as well as in the charitable activities and social initiatives. The close relationship that the war years had created between the city and the church became evident during the bombing of July 19, 1943. The Pope’s visit to the neighborhood of San Lorenzo immediately after the bombing served to reinforce the tie that had been established between the people of Rome, not only Catholics, and the ecclesiastic institution.