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The crosier
is the
symbol of
the
governing
office of
the Bishop.
The Eastern
Orthodox and
Eastern Rite
Catholic
crosier, in
the Slavic
tradition
known as the
"pateritsa",
is found in
two common
forms. One
is tau-shaped,
with
drooping
arms,
surmounted
with a small
cross. The
other has a
top
comprising a
pair of
sculptured
serpents or
dragons
curled back
to face each
other, with
a small
cross
between
them. The
symbolism in
the latter
case is of
the bronze
serpents
made by
Moses in
Numbers
21:8-9.
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