Crosier

A crosier or crozier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox,Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church,and some Anglican, Lutheran, United Methodist and Pentecostal churches.

For other uses, see Crosier (disambiguation).

Western- and Eastern-style crosiers
Western-style crosier of Archbishop Heinrich II of Finstingen (1260–86) in the Treasury of Trier Cathedral
Eastern-style crosier of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch with serpents representing the staff of Moses
Eastern Orthodox tau-shaped crosier belonging to St. Dimitry of Rostov in Rostov museum

In Western Christianity the usual form has been a shepherd's crook, curved at the top to enable animals to be hooked. In Eastern Christianity, it is found in two common forms: tau-shaped, with curved arms, surmounted by a small cross; or a pair of sculptured serpents or dragons curled back to face each other, with a small cross between them.

Other typical insignia of prelates are the mitre, the pectoral cross, and the episcopal ring.

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