ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) – Evangelist Billy Graham was in fair condition Saturday and resting comfortably in a hospital near his home after he was admitted for evaluation and treatment of an intestinal bleed, hospital officials said.

Reverend Graham, 88, was fully alert, and his doctors don’t think his condition is life-threatening, said his spokesman, Larry Ross.
“The priority right now is rest,” Mr. Ross said.

Reverend Graham’s blood pressure was good and there were no signs of new bleeding Saturday evening, according to a statement released by Mission Health & Hospitals in Asheville.

The hospital said in a statement that Reverend Graham’s condition had stabilized following his admission, and a endoscopy and a bleeding scan found no areas of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.

“It stopped as quickly as it began,” Mr. Ross said.

Mr. Ross estimated the ailing preacher could be released from the hospital in a couple of days.

The hospital said the initial bleeding may have been caused by diverticuli, or small pouches that can form in the lower intestine. A diverticular bleed often begins suddenly and may stop on its own, the hospital said.

Mr. Ross said Reverend Graham experienced a similar intestinal bleed during in 1995 crusade in Toronto.
Reverend Graham’s wife of 64 years, Ruth Bell Graham, died in June. She had been bedridden for months with degenerative osteoarthritis of the back and neck.

The ailing Reverend Graham surprised mourners at her funeral by rising to talk about his wife, who was his closest confidant during a six-decade career that took him around the world to preach to more than 210 million people.

“I wish you could look in that casket because she’s so beautiful,” said Reverend Graham, clinging to a walker. “She was a wonderful woman.”

The charismatic Southern Baptist minister has preached in more than 185 countries and territories, and packed arenas in America. He is known for his close ties to Richard Nixon, who said Graham helped persuade him to run for president in 1968.