Nope, it's a necessary evil when you have one Pope and a billion followers. America is not the only country with corrupt political figures masquerading as Catholics. The Pope was very cear on this (actually it was then Cardinal Ratzinger writing for John Paul II): If you do this, you are no longer a Catholic. Note to priests: If you no somebody who is doing this you are not to offer them Communion.
None of the people I mentioned in the previous post are Catholics (well, perhaps the Lindbergh baby was).
I am always amazed by the assumption that an organization is it's hierarchy. In my view an organization is the sum total of its adherents and it hierarchy and the social network in which it operates. We saw that assumption when the Soviets decided to whack JP II. They believed that a dead JPII would end the social, economic and political threat of Catholicism to the Soviets. If JPII had died it would have made no difference in the outcome the it was the weight of All Catholics all leaning in the same direction that toppled Poland's Communists. The rest is history.
Curiously we did the same thing when we assumed the capture and death of Uday, Qusay, Saddam and Zarqawi would end the insurgency. It had no effect. Mass movements happen independantly of the hierarchy. Christ himself is a good example. I suspect hierarchy just surfs the trend. Constantine is a good example.