Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Moonies sect, dead at 92

Seoul - The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, self-proclaimed religious messiah who founded the Unification Church, has died at the age of 92.

Moon died of complications from pneumonia in a South Korean hospital. The BBC reports his funeral will be held on Sept. 15., following a 15-day mourning period by the Unification Church, founded by Moon in 1954. The controversial religious leader gained notoriety for performing mass wedding ceremonies for his followers, known as Moonies. The Church also faced accusations of brainwashing members. According to Sky News the Church now claims some three million members. The Unification Church spawned a multi-billion dollar business. In spite of serving a prison sentence in the U.S. on charges of tax evasion Moon was still feted by the rich and powerful, including many politicians. In 2008 Moon's youngest son, Hyung Jin Moon, succeeded him as leader of the Unification Church. Moon's last active role was to oversee the simultaneous wedding ceremonies of 45,000 people in 2009.