AP: Catholic basketball coach paid for mistress's abortion

An AmP reader sent me this sad story of the men's basketball coach Rick Pitino, a Catholic father of five, who apparently paid his mistress $3,000 to have an abortion.

Being a party to an abortion results in an automatic excommunication, so in addition to the significant legal problems Mr. Pitino is facing, he also ought to urgently seek reconciliation with the Church.

The Associated Press article claims that Pitino "brings along a priest who's a close friend and spiritual adviser on many team trips". 

I hope that this priest is helping Mr. Pitino and his family.

Let's say a quick prayer for men whose job keeps them away from their families for long periods of time. I'm not condoning at all what Mr. Pitino did but certainly this can be an occasion of temptation.

update: My father, Canon Lawyer Ed Peters, takes a look at the canonical consequences arising from the abortion in this case.