Obviously, most posters here are not exactly sure what a prelature is or does. Let’s work on that, because the other stuff is going to take from days to years. By the other stuff, I mean the regularization. This is not as close to a conclusion as the press makes it sound. Remember, it said that they received a “draft”. If the press is correct, a draft is never the final offer. As to Fr. Lombardi’s statements, . . . well I wish he would not comment on this. He only confuses people. His statement “The ball is in their court now” makes it sound as if this is the pope’s final offer. If this document is a draft, then it’s not final. If it is the pope’s final offer, then don’t call it a draft. Either way, of course the ball is in their court. Even if it’s a draft, it’s now the SSPX’s turn to serve the ball. Duh!!!
Now, getting back to a prelature. A prelature is not a reward. Do you really know the circumstances of a prelature? I would rather be an FSSP than belong to a prelature.
A prelature is governed directly by the pope. The FSSP is not governed by the pope. They have their own superior general
The prelature will have statutes and constitutions handed to it by the Vatican. Prelatures do not get to write their own statutes, as do societies of apostolic life and religious communities. The statutes are written at the Vatican, given to the prelate to comment, edited, if the prelate has something good to contribute and then sent to the pope for final approval. He issues the constitution of the prelature. The FSSP writers its own statutes, votes on them and sends a copy to the Sacred Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. The Sacred Congregation reviews the constitution to ensure that it meets all the requirements of Canon Law and that there is no doctrinal error in it. The Sacred Congregation does not care if the constitution says that you will dance around the altar for morning and evening prayer, since such an action does not violate canon law, dogma or morals. They sign off on it and send it back to the Superior General of the FSSP. The SSPX will be in a closer relationship with the Holy Father, but it also has to make sure to cross its tees and dot its eyes.
The FSSP gets to elect its superior general. A prelature does not get to elect the prelate. The prelate is appointed by the pope. Remember the word, “personal prelature”. The personal refers to the pope. You’re stuck with the prelate that the pope appoints. He can appoint any bishop, not just an SSPX bishop.
The FSSP does not have to own property; therefore, it does not have to raise funds to maintain and insure their property. The FSSP hires itself out to a diocese or a religious community who provide the property. If the collection plate is not enough to fix the leaky rood, the owner of the proper, usually the diocese, will bail them out with a loan or just pick up the tab. The prelature owns all of its buildings and is financially responsible for them. It gets so financial support from the diocese. If it needs to borrow from a bank, the diocese does not serve as its cosigner.
The prelature can have its own seminary. So can the FSSP. No difference there.
The FSSP has to ask for permission to enter a diocese, so does the prelature.
The FSSP does not have ordinary jurisdiction over those who attend their mass or belong to their parish. That jurisdiction belongs to the bishop where the person resides. This is a good thing. The FSSP is not responsible for the salvation of their souls. If these folks follow the wide road, because the priest suggested it, the person goes to heaven, regardless of what he did, because he was obeying. The priest may not be so lucky and neither will the bishop for allowing it to happen, provided he knows. However, the FSSP is not accountable, only the priest involved. The prelature has ordinary authority over the laity. Guess who is morally responsible for the laity . . . bingo! The prelature, not the local bishop, not the FSSP.
The FSSP is a society of Pontifical Right. This means that it has the same right of exemption as I do. Bishops cannot discipline a member of the FSSP. The laity has no right to comment or voice an opinion on anything that happens with the FSSP, unless it directly affects them. Remotely does not count. Directly we mean that the FSSP priest is being ugly to you. If the FSSP priests decide to have happy hour every day, that does not directly affect the laity, even though it may be shocked. That’s a problem for the superior of the FSSP. If the SSPX decides to have a happy hour and there are complaints, the prelate has to deal with them and he has to inform the pope. The superior general of the FSSP does not have to report to the pope, unless the pope calls him in.
A prelature is like a diocese without physical boundaries. It certainly has many other boundaries and a lot more oversight from the Vatican.
The key here is that*** if Pope Benedict truly did say that this is the only way*** to come back into the Church and the SSPX rejects it, we may be facing a schism, depending on how the Holy Father takes the rejection.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, FFV
and 
that it closes the riff, :thankyou: