What is the golden serpent?

The answer

If a bishop is present during the Eucharistic Liturgy, then a deacon carries the Bishop’s special staff which is surmounted by a golden cross between two golden serpents. This staff is different from the pastoral staff which the bishop uses at other times to indicate his role as an apostolic shepherd.

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, Catechism of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Volume 1, Books 1–3. First English Edition, 2023. Published by St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Sporting, Alexandria, and Queen St. Mary & Prince Tadros Coptic Orthodox Church, South Brunswick, NJ. Copyright © 2023. Translation and Editing: Youth of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Arabian Gulf, and Egypt.