Pope Francis has opened the New Year with an ode to motherhood,… saying a mother's love is the foundation of humanity and the cure for a world often divided and filled with bitterness. <br />Let's take a look at part of the Pope's speech<br /><br />"In today's fragmented world, where we risk losing our bearings, a mother's embrace is essential. How much dispersion and solitude there is all around us. The world is completely connected, yet seems increasingly disjointed. We need to entrust ourselves to our mother."<br /><br />He praised mothers for the heroism they show "in self-giving, strength in compassion and wisdom in meekness,"… reminding they are "people who know how to take their children by the hand and lovingly introduce them to life."<br />The speech comes after a disastrous 2018 for Pope Francis.<br />Last year opened with the explosion of a global sex abuse scandal and ended with the sudden departures of the Vatican spokesman and deputy in sign of discord and dysfunction within the Catholic Church. <br />
