Anyone, who attended a bishop service in a church, paid attention to the special crosier, which the bishop uses at the beginning of the liturgy and during his sermon.
The bishop's crosier is the special attribute of each bishop, used only during worship, which, apart from its practical role, also has a symbolic meaning as a sign of spiritual authority. The bishop's crosier is made of metal and is usually decorated with gilding, silvering or precious stones. Orthodox crosiers have two options for the design of the top. The first one is shaped like an inverted anchor, the most ancient and in its history dates back to the VI century. The second is shaped in the form of two wriggling snakes, which turn their heads to each other, becoming widespread in the XVI - XVII centuries. In both cases, the top is necessarily crowned with a cross. These types of the crosier have different design due to different symbols. The older version resembles the shepherd's staffs of the New Testament and is a symbol of the pastoral ministry of the bishop to his spiritual sheep. The snake version is a symbol of the bishop’s spiritual wisdom, in the administration of the flock entrusted to him. In our country, bishops wear necessarily a small piece of brocade in the color of vestments on their bishop's crosiers. It was introduced to protect hands from the cold.
Outside of worship, bishops use a special church stave, which is a walking stick made of sturdy wood with an ornament on the headwork. The purpose of such a staff is purely practical - for the convenience of walking. There is also an abbot's stave, which is a symbol of the authority and power of the heads of Orthodox monasteries.
The Axios online store gives you the opportunity to buy a bishop's crosiers or staves online quickly and easily. Our range of products is wider than in other church stores of Orthodox products. With us you can not only buy a stave or a crosier, but also pick up to them the appropriate vestments or a pair of Dicerion-Trecerion. Our consultants will always help you with ordering and delivery.
