Sunday the Pope prayed the Angelus with the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, reflecting on Jesus as the prophet of truth and later, in language greetings, he reminded the faithful that on February 3, Italy celebrates the “Day for Life.”

Also Sunday: The Pope invited Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches, to be his delegate in presiding at Mass Monday morning in St. Peter’s Basilica as a confirmation of Eucharistic communion with the newly elected Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, His Beatitude Louis Raphael I Sako.

Benedict XVI on Sunday tweeted: “Let us imitate the Virgin Mary in welcoming and guarding the word of Jesus, in order to recognize him as Lord in our lives.”

Monday the Holy Father received Patriarch Raphael I Sako in audience.

This evening at 6 in the Paul VI Hall, there will be a concert to mark the 84th anniversary of the signing of the Lateran Pacts between Italy and the Holy See on February 11, 1929. The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino orchestra, conducted by Maestro Zubin Mehta, will perform Beethoven's Symphony No.3 and "La forza del Destino" by Giuseppe Verdi in the presence of Pope Benedict and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

Monday’s other big news: The Vatican’s Christmas tree and nativity scene are being taken down as I write.

The Holy Father’s prayer intentions for February: MIGRANTS: That migrant families, especially the mothers, may be supported and accompanied in their difficulties. PEACE: That the peoples at war and in conflict may lead the way in building a peaceful future.

EWTN CEO MICHAEL WARSAW ON HHS MANDATE PROPOSAL As I went to press Friday evening, February 1, the news was just coming out in the U.S. about the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking by the US Government on the HHS Contraceptive Services Mandate. Since then I have read the government summary of their NPRM (notice of proposed rulemaking). Later that day, EWTN President and CEO Michael Warsaw issued the following statement:

“This morning the US Department of Health and Human Services issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on the government mandate that employee health plans must provide contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs as part of their coverage. On February 9, 2012, EWTN was the first organization to file a lawsuit challenging this mandate shortly after the original rules were promulgated by the government. That lawsuit is still pending in the US District Court in Birmingham, Alabama.

”We have analyzed today's notice with our legal team from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and the initial conclusions are not promising. First, this is simply a notice of a proposed rule; it is not an actual rule that changes anything. Second, while the proposed rules might expand the mandate's religious exemption for some organizations affiliated directly with the Church, it does not appear that EWTN will qualify for this exemption. Third, the proposed rules have not dealt with the concerns of self-insured health plans like EWTN's. Today's notice from the government simply kicks this can further down the road.

”Sadly, throughout this proposed rule, the government continues to make the erroneous assertion that contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs are health care. They are not.

”We will continue to study this notice with our attorneys, but are highly doubtful it will provide EWTN with any relief from this immoral mandate. EWTN remains firmly committed to pressing forward with our case in the Federal Courts and will take all steps necessary to challenge this unjust mandate."

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