For years, the wrong flags of the Vatican have gone around the world without anyone noticing. It all started with a mistake on Wikipedia: in 2017, a user modified the image of the flag that appears on the Wikipedia page dedicated to the State of the Vatican. The modification is anecdotal: only the inside of the tiara (a kind of crown) changes from yellow to red, as well as the yellow color of the whole, a little lighter.
However, it is an error, based on the coat of arms of the State, which differs from the one presented on the flag, develops the US press agency Catholic News Agency.
From then on, this fake version spread everywhere: in physical stores and online, but also in emojis, including those offered on the social networks Twitter and Facebook.
Fakes available on Amazon
A Reddit user, discovered by the specialized medium The Verge, has compiled several of these false flags in situation, presenting in particular tourists waving the papal flag around the world.
The error is reset at the end of December 2022 on Wikipedia, but the false flags persist – a simple Amazon search makes it possible to see this.
How could such confusion arise? The Catholic News Agency explains that, contrary to what one might think, it is difficult to find the official version of a flag, especially that of the Vatican. The official state website only offers a low-resolution, square format version of the papal flag.
In conclusion, the Vatican State was encouraged by the Catholic community, among others, to clearly and definitively present its official flag, especially since a similar error had already occurred between 2006 and 2007.
Source: BFM TV
