The Australian Pastafarian Lobby (APL) has officially launched the campaign to have the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster officially recognised as a religion in Australia.

Poland has recently paved the way for Pastafarianism to become an officially-recognised religion, after a Warsaw court overturned a 2013 decision barring the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster from registering as a religion.

The decision has also been welcomed with Dolmio grins in Australia by the APL.

“The tide be turnin’ against those who be tryin’ to deny our authenticity as a religion, says I,” APL spokespirate Cap’n Cannonballs Pasta said.

“And we’re takin’ this opportunity to declare that we’ll now be pushing for the same religious equality in this kangaroo-infested land.”

Responding to Catholic Church criticism that the Polish court’s decision represents an anti-Catholic provocation, Cap’n Pasta said, “This decision be about equality, not provocation!”

“Everybody should be free to worship the religion they choose – whether it be one led by a white beardy man in the sky, or one led by a sentient levitating mass of carbohydrate-rich pasta.

“Religious equality is all we be wantin’!”

Those Pasta-worshippers interested in assisting the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Australia to attain religious status in Australia can pledge their support at www.apl.org.au.

According to that website, “Pastafarians” have existed in secret for hundreds of years.

“Pastafarianism is a real, legitimate religion, backed by science to the same degree as any other religion.

“Anything that comes across as humour or satire may or may not be purely coincidental.”

 There may be shades of the Jedi religion that rears its head every time Census night approaches.

However, it certainly piqued the BDN’s interest on a Tuesday morning – and gave the editor a craving for bolognese!