Pope Leo cast a ballot by mail in the US midterm elections, the Vatican press office said, a historic first for the American-born pontiff.
Leo registered to vote in Illinois under his birth name Robert Francis Prevost and requested a ballot on October 3, the Chicago Sun-Times reported, citing the Will County Clerk's office.
The Vatican did not say which candidates Leo voted for.
https://reut.rs/4ih6BED
"Holy mackerel" is a humorous or euphemistic exclamation of surprise first recorded around 1803, though its exact origin remains uncertain. [1]
Etymologists and historians point to several primary theories:
Minced Oath for "Holy Mary": The phrase is widely considered a "minced oath"—a mild or playful substitution for a potentially blasphemous religious expletive like "Holy Mary". The "M" sound in "Mackerel" acts as a phonetic replacement for "Mary," following a pattern similar to expressions like "holy moly" for "holy Moses". [1, 2, 3]
Catholic Friday Fish Traditions: In the 19th century, Roman Catholics were required to abstain from meat on Fridays and often ate affordable fish like mackerel instead. This practice led to anti-Catholic slurs like "mackerel snapper" or "mackerel snatcher," and the fish name eventually attached itself to the mild oath. [1, 2, 3]