It sounds as though you believe that the decision by Pope John Paul II, after having been shot, to travel in a bulletproof vehicle (the so-called ‘Pope-mobile’) should have been greeted with contempt and derision. But as this is P&E I won’t ask you if that is your actual belief.
Responding to threats with measures intended to counter those threats is assessed by intelligent people as prudent, rather than being assessed as a character flaw or a failure of “leadership.” The indoor versus outdoor discussion is nothing to do with “leadership,” as there is nothing inherently virtuous about outdoor ceremonies as compared with indoor ceremonies.