De Vocatione

If I need a pilot to fly the plane I'm on, or a SWAT officer to kill the bad guy who has taken me hostage, or a surgeon to remove my tumor, I'm not really that concerned that such a person be a Christian, heterosexual and monogamous, godly, a role model, good with kids, loves animals, doesn't use bad language, doesn't watch reality TV, reads Shakespeare, understands Latin, loathes modern art, prefers an ad orientem celebration of the Eucharist, and stands for the national anthem.

Likewise, if I need a pastor to administer soul care, preach, administer sacraments, and teach the faith in word and deed, it doesn't matter if he can fly a plane, shoot a rifle, or perform delicate surgery.

I think we have been brainwashed by generations of state-worship to treat elected officials as some kind of religious leaders, moral role models, or even demigods.

Yes, all things being equal, it would be nice to have someone of impeccable moral credentials be pilots, police officers, physicians, and politicians, but when it comes down to it, better a philanderer with steady hands and well-trained in his vocation than a pious person with high noble intentions but who is not up to the task called for.

I'm told that police officers are often divorced, profane, and rather hardened in the ways of our fallen world (not universally, mind you, but commonly are so), and yet very conservative people put signs in their yards saying they support men and women in law enforcement.