Why some people seem to be so outraged cause Benedict XVI is resigning his position as Pope?

Well, if you're a religious Catholic, you believe that someone is elected Pope by God's will, and it seems blasphemous, wrong, to reject God's will.

Dante thought it a terrible sin to turn your back on the Papacy and placed a pope who had resigned in Hell in the Divine Comedy. That's the traditional attitude, though a lot of people no longer hold it.

I suspect that what worries some people is that this resignation may set a precedent. It may be that all future Popes will retire when they get too old, there may even be pressure for them to do so. If that happens, the nature of the job and of the institution will be irrevocably changed. It may cease to be regarded as a supremely spiritual honor and role and turn into just another job. There may also be pressure to elect younger (and possibly less experienced) men, which wouldn't be such a bad thing in my view, but some people might find it worrisome.

In any case, Benedict is bucking many, many centuries of tradition, and bucking tradition always disturbs some people.

Edit: @Chi Girl, personally I think that someone in poor health has every right to say, "I can't do this any longer, I can't cope with the demands because I'm in bad health." However, that's not the way the Papacy has worked. Popes have remained in office even if they were in comas, because that's been the tradition; the view has been that this is what God wants and expects. If that changed, then as I said, the understanding and view of the Papacy in general might well change, and some people, staunch traditionalists, are surely balking at that.

The issue surrounds the entire concept of the Papacy. By Catholic doctrine, the Pope is God's representative on Earth, he was hand picked by God for that post, the Pope is as close to a divine figure as you can get in the modern world. The Pope resigning suggests that God made a mistake, that God picked someone incapable of seeing the job to its conclusion. It reveals that the Pope is just a man like anyone else. In many ways, it is a very foundational crisis for the Catholic church.

Also, there is speculation that he is stepping down because leaks in the Vatican have exposed more allegations of sexual abuse, of embezzlement, and rampant homosexuality within the clergy, extending all the way up through the College of Cardinals. And, that he is stepping down to avoid the coming storm. It doesn't say much for the Pope that he isn't standing tall against these allegations.

Personally, I don't understand how anyone familiar with the history of the Papacy cannot see that it is nothing more than a political position at the head of a self serving organization.

@Chi girl - In Catholic doctrine, he is not 'only Human', he is the infallible voice of God on Earth. The very fact you point out that the Pope IS human is a problem for Catholic doctrine.

A Catholic believes that a Pope was chosen by God to lead the church.I agree that Pope Benedict XVI quitting his post only looks bad for the Catholic Church for it is a gesture of turning back on God.

Just take a look at Pope John Paul II.He never quit his papacy despite being beset by illness and physical weakness.This added more respect to the late Pope as compared to Pope Benedict XVI,who simply gave up and lacked faith especially when the Catholic Church needs him the most.

I haven't seen any outrage. But if all the other popes in the last 6 centuries can do it until they die, why not this one? I'm an atheist, so I don't really care, but I'm curious what's different now.

I haven't seen many comments of people who disagree with Benedict's decision. Surprisingly, many seem to agree/accept it.

He's 85, he is losing weight rapidly and I doubt that he'll be here long. Let him enjoy his last few months or years in peace.

He's to old to take the weight of others poor decisons.

Your right, he is just a man. A pope is just a man, not our Father as he is called. He is just a man.

Wait till they get 85 and their liver shuts down. then they will see what it is like.-Jesus Christ

He took a lesson from Sarah Palin....

No one likes a quitter.

God question. I say, good for him.