In terms of bizarreness, this church can hardly be surpassed by anyone in the world. The adherents, vulgo believers, of the Church of the Holy Spaghetti Monster call themselves Pastafari. If you drive to Templin by car, you will see an official sign for the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in addition to the usual signs for the Catholic and Protestant churches, which indicate the service and Holy Mass. It does not celebrate its (noodle) mass on Sunday, as is usual in other churches, but on Friday at 10 a.m. Because of this sign, says Brother Spaghettus, who represents the church in Brandenburg and Berlin, there was some friction in the Templin town hall. Brother Spaghettus’ real name is Rüdiger Weida, he’s 70 years old and a satirist, blogger and performance artist.
White bushy beard
In the end, the church won the dispute, and the sign is now secure. “And Templin should be happy about that, because the church is a not inconsiderable tourist attraction and has already saved Templin several hundred thousand euros in advertising,” says Spaghettus with certainty. With his bushy white beard and clever eyes, he looks quite sublime, he could easily pass for an orthodox priest.
Spaghettus lives with his wife in an old emigrant house near Templin. The “church” is housed in the former stable. In the summer there are always a few guests coming to the fair, mostly tourists, but in the winter a single participant is a lot. Since the stable is not heated, Brother Spaghettus tries not to make the pasta fair unnecessarily long.
“Ramen” instead of “Amen”
On the altar are gifts from the faithful, including an intricately carved sculpture of – Pasta! There are also relics, with the Pastafari these are not pieces of wood from Jesus’ cross, but noodles. For the Mass, Brother Spaghettus has thrown on a chasuble that makes him look really reverent with his corpulence. He instructs the believers beforehand that the formula during the mass is not “Amen!”, but “Ramen!”.
You don’t fold your hands, but hook your thumbs together and let the other eight fingers flutter, which requires some practice at the beginning, but always makes for a good laugh. Oh yes, and nobody is allowed to attend the mass without a hat. With the Pastafari it is a pirate hat, various models are available for the visitors. According to the Pastafari, pirates were good seafarers who liked to surprise children with sweets. The claim that they were dangerous predators of the seas is one of the Church’s many falsifications of history.
Various members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster have been photographed wearing head coverings such as pasta colanders or pirate scarves, causing quite a stir in the global community. And registration offices had some trouble with Pastafari, who absolutely wanted to have a photo with a pirate hat or pasta colander on their ID card, which was always answered negatively.
So you see, Pastafari have a very special sense of humor, and fans of Monthy Python, Douglas Adams or Eulenspiegel are in good hands in this church.
Founded in 2006
The nonsense religion, the Gaga Church, as it is often called in newspapers, was founded in 2006 by Bobby Henderson in the USA. That year, Henderson, then 26, published a book called Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. It is based on the controversy that existed at the time in the US state of Oregon over the biology curriculum, in which the creationist pseudoscience intelligent design was to be taught for the first time. This harmonizes with the creationists, who believe that life on earth can only be explained by an intelligent author and not by Darwin. Henderson spoke out in favor of the theory of evolution and demanded that President Bush, if he was so open to alternative theories of the origin of the world, then please include the doctrine of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in the school curriculum.
The media response to this start-up was tremendous at the time, Spaghetti Monster branches were founded all over the world. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has existed in Germany since 2011 and is officially a registered association.
Meanwhile, the pasta fair is in full swing. Brother Spaghettus has cooked a delicious spaghetti noodle for each participant, which is devoutly slurped in like the host in the Catholic Church. Afterwards they should be thanked with a “Ramen”. Instead of altar wine, there is a shelf with good beers from the beer volcano, a hill located in the garden behind the church. There is also an alcohol-free one. The noodle is then washed down with a sip from a fine pewter cup. The whole thing is also well tolerated by vegetarians.
Of course, there are also songs, such as: “The moon has risen” by the Profiteroles, “Ein bissfest Burg” by Captain Kaos, or “Arrrgh, the pirate speaks” by Capitano Della Benkel. At least one of these is sung at the Noodle Mass, albeit without the organ. Brother Spaghettus reverently reads the creed from a ready roll of pasta.
Flying spaghetti monster – fresco based on Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam.Imago Images
People who are easily bothered by blasphemy should therefore think twice about joining the noodle fair as a guest. Because the “monster ours” that is prayed in the mass has it all. It begins with “Our monster, which art in heaven, hallowed be your appendages.” Your pirates come, your gravy be done…” and then to end with “for yours is the gravy and the cheese and the meatballs forever. ramen.”
After the entertaining mass, visitors can go for a little walk in the Uckermark garden behind the house, which is lovingly cared for by Brother Spaghettus. There is also an organic swimming pool next to which the stripper factory is located. Spaghettus doesn’t explain exactly what that’s all about, maybe it’s already too cold now, in November.
respect wine
Incidentally, there is also Christmas among the Pastafari, who immediately make it clear that it has nothing to do with the “Christmas” of the Christian church. They just hijacked and falsified the old festival. Instead of the Christmas tree, Pastafari use the mast tree, which they decorate with candles. Several bottles of wine are always part of the celebration, therefore: Christmas.
Principles of Pastafari are summarized in a brochure that is available in front of the church. It says that the separation of church and state is to be completed, that compulsory ethics classes are being advocated instead of religious education, that there is an open society, for al dente pasta and for parties. What you don’t like at all: Stammtisch slogans, annual state payments to churches, reference to God in the German constitution, fundamentalism and special legal protection for religious feelings. And of course humorless types on all levels, as is easily noted smugly.
In contrast to the big churches, which in Germany are supported with around 19 billion euros every year, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster does not receive a cent in grants. Which on the one hand makes them sympathetic, on the other hand Brother Spaghettus and his followers have to make a living from something. Donations are therefore gratefully accepted, the account number can be found on the website.
Last but not least, the Pirate Pastafarians are curbing global warming. So the “last generation” should get in touch with them quickly. “Pirates are necessary to regulate the Earth’s climate. What can be scientifically proven,” they say. In addition, the Pastafari have a scientific graph ready that clearly proves that the fewer pirates there are, the higher the temperature rises.
www.pastafari.eu