In today’s New York Times:

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in New York, said Wednesday that he would gladly help mediate between the proponents and critics of an Islamic center and mosque planned for a site two blocks from ground zero.
The archbishop said that it was his “major prayer” that a compromise could be reached, and that while he had no strong feelings about the project, he might support finding a new location for the center.
Speaking during an impromptu news conference at Covenant House, a Catholic shelter in Manhattan for homeless youth, Archbishop Dolan invoked the example of Pope John Paul II, who in 1993 ordered Catholic nuns to move from their convent at the former Auschwitz death camp after protests from Jewish leaders.
“He’s the one who said, ‘Let’s keep the idea, and maybe move the address,’ ” the archbishop said. “It worked there; might work here.”
Archbishop Dolan is the most prominent New York religious leader to weigh in on the Islamic center, which has spurred a fierce national debate over freedom of religion and the legacy of 9/11 that has even drawn in President Obama.
…
Archbishop Dolan declined a request from The New York Times on Wednesday to explain his position and his thinking more fully. In an interview the same day on WCBS radio, he defended the religious freedom of Muslims, but said the project’s leaders should heed the views of those who have criticized it as an affront to the memory of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.
“Those who wonder about the wisdom of the situation of the mosque, near such a wounded site, ask what I think are some legitimate questions that I think deserve attention,” he said.

I used the convent example on the Times website yesterday, too. Hat tip to Bill McGurn on that.

Using freedom wisely — being prudent — is not in conflict with religious freedom. It’s, in fact, essential to its healthy exercise!