Westboro Baptist Church's Fred Phelps 'On The Edge Of Death,' Son Claims

Nate Phelps, the son of Fred Waldron Phelps Sr., who founded the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church in the 1950s, claims his father is “on the edge of death” and living in a hospice home.

In a Facebook post, Nate, who broke away from the church 37 years ago at the age of 18 and now lives in Canada, claims his controversial father was excommunicated from the church last August and is living at hospice house in Topeka, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

Church spokesman Steve Drain declined to say whether the church had excommunicated its founder.

“We don't owe any talk to you about that,” Drain said on Sunday. “We don't discuss our internal church dealings with anybody. It's only because of his notoriety that you are asking.”

Drain, who decided to join the church through the course of filming a documentary, confirmed that Fred Phelps Sr. was living in the hospice house named by his son but added: “The source that says he's near death is not well informed.”

“I'm not sure how I feel about this,” Nate Phelps said of his father's excommunication. “Terribly ironic that his devotion to his god ends this way. Destroyed by the monster he made.”

“I feel sad for all the hurt he's caused so many. I feel sad for those who will lose the grandfather and father they loved. And I'm bitterly angry that my family is blocking the family members who left from seeing him, and saying their good-byes.”