AP PHOTOS: Typhoon survivors hope the pope can mend broken community ties

TACLOBAN, Philippines — After Pope Francis' visit to the central Philippine city of Tacloban on Saturday, a group of Filipinos took shelter from the rain under a tarpaulin roof stretched out from a rebuilt wooden shack.

A recurring theme emerged when they were asked about what the pope's visit meant to them: How communities fell apart after Typhoon Haiyan swept into the city on Nov. 8, 2013, leaving death and destruction in its wake.

Men staying out late drinking, and not going to work. A disconnect with their Catholic faith. A sense of blaming God for the death of loved ones.

Many hoped that the pope's visit to the typhoon-hit region would reinvigorate their faith, bringing them closer to God and the church again. Without that, they said, things would only get worse.

Here's what some typhoon victims had to say Saturday:

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— FRITCHIE FACTURANAN, 33, lost her grandmother and aunt in the typhoon.

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— RUEL GARCELAZO, 36, washed up in the typhoon surge but managed to find safety in broken timber.

"I hope that the pope will bless and restore our faith because many are asking why God can do this."

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— GUNEIL LIANA, 27, lost his only daughter.

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— VIVENCIO LUANA, 52, lost his wife, one of his four children, nine grandchildren and a son-in-law.

"I hope the pope can come and bring some unity here because this place is broken."

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— JUBILYN TANNAGEA, 31, lost her husband and her six children. She has remarried and is four months pregnant.