Crozier

(1260–86) in the Treasury of Trier Cathedral |image2=Crozier of the Syriac Orthodox Bishop.jpg |caption2=Eastern-style crozier of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch with serpents representing the staff of Moses |image3= Crosier.jpeg |caption3= Eastern Orthodox tau-shaped crozier belonging to St. Dimitry of Rostov in Rostov museum }}

A crozier or crosier (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, Church of South India and some Anglican, Lutheran, United Methodist and Pentecostal churches.

In Western Christianity the crozier typically takes the form of a shepherd's crook, a tool used to manage flocks of sheep and herds of goats. In Eastern Christianity, the crozier has 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. Provided by Wikipedia