That he did not cite his other predecessor, Cardinal George, speaks volumes.  Cardinal Bernadine actively resisted the Republican Party's goal of co-opting the pro-life movement without quite saying that this had already occurred.  Today, it should be family wages, not the death penalty or nuclear war, which defines a consistent ethic of life.  This hits the libertarians where it hurts, even though most of us prefer some type of tax credited income (like a negative income tax) to categorical programs.  

Making sure all families are financially well is simply more solidarity than some pro-lifers can take, since they are more into forcing conservative sexuality onto women than protecting life.  Theirs is a consistent ethic of moralism, in solidarity with all the moralists before them, rather than with the poor or with sinners.