Some at church forgiving of Pitino’s actions

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rick Pitino’s personal failings should be forgiven and he should remain as head basketball coach at the University of Louisville, some Catholics in Kentucky said Sunday.

Some anti-abortion groups have called for the state-supported, public university to fire Pitino because a woman with whom he admitted having extramarital sex had an abortion soon after.

But some attending Mass said the high-profile coach, who is Roman Catholic, should be given another chance.

“I still think he’s a great man, he just put himself in a bad position and it’s a terrible blemish on his character,” said Arnold Brown, who attended an early Mass at St. Frances of Rome, a church Pitino has attended.