World’s oldest person, Brazilian Nun, dies at 116

Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, recognized as the world’s oldest living person, has passed away at the age of 116.

Her death was confirmed on Wednesday by the US-based Gerontological Research Group (GRG) and global longevity tracker LongeviQuest.

Born on June 8, 1908, Canabarro lived a life marked by a fragile infancy and a deep commitment to her Catholic faith.

She became the world’s oldest living person earlier this year following the death of Japan’s Tomiko Itooka, who was also 116 at the time of her passing.

She often credited her extraordinary lifespan to divine grace and her religious commitment.

With her passing, 115-year-old Ethel Caterham of Surrey, England, now holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest living person.

The Congregation of Teresian Sisters of Brazil in Porto Alegre announced Canabarro’s passing Wednesday in a statement in which it gave thanks “for the dedication and devotion” she had shown in life.

LongeviQuest, in an obituary, said Canabarro had been a frail child, and “many doubted she would survive.”

She became a nun in 1934 at the age of 26, between World Wars I and II.

Canabarro had attributed her longevity to God, saying: “He is the secret of life. He is the secret of everything,” according to LongeviQuest.

For her 110th birthday, she received a blessing from Pope Francis, who himself died last Monday aged 88.

Although she had claimed her date of birth was May 27, 1908, “her documented birth date according to records is June 8, 1908,” GRG director Robert Young told AFP in January.

LongeviQuest said Canabarro had been the 15th-oldest documented person in history, and the second-oldest nun after France’s Lucile Randon, who lived to the age of 118 and died in 2023.