Washington, USA -- Rev. Jerry Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority and a leading Christian conservative, was critically ill on Tuesday after being taken to hospital with breathing problems, a hospital statement said.
The statement from Centra Health said Falwell was admitted to Lynchburg General Hospital in southern Virginia shortly before midnight on Monday, suffering from respiratory arrest. He was placed on a ventilator and quickly stabilized.
"Rev. Falwell is clinically stable, but he is still critically ill. He is undergoing evaluation and his physicians will have a clearer picture on Wednesday," the statement said.
"His cardiac status is stable and there is no evidence of a heart attack. He is alert and responding to questions."
Falwell won prominence by launching the Moral Majority in 1979, seen as a forerunner of the later Christian Coalition which has grown into a major force in U.S. politics.
The group dissolved in 1989, but Falwell remained a prominent spokesman for conservative Christian views. He also founded Liberty University in 1971. It now has 10,000 students and states its mission as producing "Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills required to impact tomorrow's world."