Concerns have been raised that even in retirement, Benedict will overshadow his successor, who will live in the Vatican's papal apartment a few hundred yards away. Benedict has a busy schedule of events planned before his resignation on Feb. 28, when he will be flown by helicopter from the Vatican to the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo south of Rome. Lombardi said Vatican experts are still scrambling to work out the protocol covering a resigning pope, the first in 600 years. ALSO: 
 
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 Kington is a special correspondent For another thing, he’s too old to take part in the papal enclave—only cardinals under the age of 80 may vote.) In accordance with the First Vatican Council of 1870, the pope is infallible only when he makes an ex cathedra statement—that is, a statement concerning “a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church.” Most popes never make ex cathedra statements during their papacy; only one infallible statement (regarding the Assumption of Mary) has been made since the First Vatican Council of 1870.
– When Pope Benedict steps down as pope later this month, he loses some serious bragging rights: No longer will he be infallible, reports AFP via Raw Story. “These powers go with the office, so they will pass to the next pope," says a Vatican spokesman. "Whoever renounces no longer has the assistance of the Holy Spirit to guide the Universal Church." For the record, the pope isn't deemed infallible in all things all the time, but only when he lays down the law on church doctrine in what's known as an "ex cathedra" statement, explains Slate. Those statements are exceedingly rare, and Benedict, like most popes, never had the pleasure. But even though he's losing his chance at infallibility, Benedict still is expected to advise his successor on the occasional papal matter, reports the LA Times.