Political sanctity?

The recent turn of events like the US elections, the change of currency back in India by the PM, the prolonged war in Syria, the constant flow of refugees into Europe from across the Mediterranean, the whole politics of Brexit and more especially all that goes behind these apparent policy changes got me thinking this morning of one particular fact: Could sanctity and politics ever go hand in hand?

It is then that it occurred to me that perhaps there is no politician in the history of the world who has been canonized as a saint.  The closest who came to this was Thomas Moore, but then if he were to continue being a real politician he would never have been made a saint!  Politicians have never been canonized!  Perhaps only Dag Hammarskjold, Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela I'd consider as noble politicians (Gandhiji was more a leader and neatly resisted politics). But alas, none of them were Catholic!

So what's it with politics that makes it incompatible with Christian sanctity?  I guess it has something to do with the inherent system failure of politics.  Honestly, if politicians were true to their calling, the liturgical calendar would be most filled with their names - with the prefix St. That's one profession which truly facilitates the service of fellow human beings legally and literally. Unfortunately that's the only thing that never happens.

To be a politician one has to kill one's conscience.  No one can continue to have an altruistic attitude while being a politician.  Such is the state of political affairs - everywhere!