Where on earth did you get this? The only non-bishop that I'm aware of in the College is Avery Dulles. And every single Cardinal is also a priest.
As for "proof" that Church politics propels these men forward, just look at the American cardinals.
Are these men, who covered up for criminal sexual predators, "holy" men?
If this bothers you, I'm sorry.
Why don't you just pray a little for some "special devotion and holiness" for a while and a better understanding of your Catholic faith (if you are a Catholic - if not, why are you bothering with this thread)?
This post was not meant for a debate about the problems in the church, of which I agree, there are many. What is your problem? Is it raining where you live today or what?
Read the post which purpose is to list the duties, etc. of the College of Cardinals, and to identify them. If you read it all...which you evidently did not, you would not be arguing my post that some of the Cardinals are not Bishops or Priests.
As shown above: There are 47 Cardinal Deacons in the College of Cardinals.
What is a Deacon? There are three kinds of ordained ministers in the Catholic Church. The first is the bishop, who is responsible for the spiritual and pastoral care of the people of a diocese. He is assisted by priests and deacons. Traditionally deacons were ordained to preach, to assist the bishop in the celebration of the Eucharist, and to take responsibility for the Church's ministry of Charity (the care of the poor and the marginalized).
The first reference made to deacons in the Scriptures is found in the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 6. At one time diaconate and priesthood were quite separate and distinct. At a certain stage in the Church's history, the ministry of deacons gradually became absorbed into the ministry of priests. From that time onwards, it became the practice that men were ordained as deacons on the way to priesthood. This is known as the transitional diaconate.
Since the second Vatican Council, the diaconate has been restored as a distinct ministry in many countries.
They preside at sacraments. They witness the sacrament of Matrimony. They perform the sacrament of Baptism. They preside at wake, funeral and committal services. Others serve in administrative positions within the diocese, like The Chancellor, Superintendent of Schools, school principal, Associate director of Retreat Houses, etc.
Many deacons are married, yet others are single and celibate. Most depend on secular employment to provide for themselves and their families.
If you have ever attended mass you have seen that at liturgical functions, deacons are recognized by their stole. This is a strip of material, about three - four inches wide, worn over the left shoulder, draping to the right side and down the side of the right leg. There are two basic stories as to its origin. The first is that messengers in olden times wore such a cloth, so that as they approached others, they could be identified by the color markings. Another story is that the stole is likened to the cloth a waiter would use, which he kept thrown over his shoulder until needed. The symbolism here is that deacons, too, are servants, waiting on others.