The eldest known living individual in the world has been announced – and she is a 116-year-old nun hailing from Brazil.
Sister Inah Canabarro, whose birthdate is 8 June 1908, secured the title of the oldest person worldwide following the passing of a woman from Japan on 29 December.
LongeviQuest, an organization dedicated to monitoring supercentenarians around the world, confirmed that this wheelchair-dependent nun’s accomplishment has been substantiated by historical documentation.
She holds the distinction of being the 20th oldest person ever recorded – a list led by France’s Jeanne Calment, who passed away in 1997 at the remarkable age of 122.
Ms. Canabarro attributes her prolonged life to her devout Catholic beliefs.
Sister Inah Canabarro has become the oldest living person. Pic: Carlos Macedo/LongeviQuest/AP
In a clip released by LongeviQuest the previous year, the nun was seen sharing humor, praying the Hail Mary, and showing off small paintings she once created of wildflowers.
“I am youthful, charming, and kind-hearted – all fantastic and positive traits that you possess as well,” she expressed to visitors at her nursing home in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre.
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The remarkable 116-year-old was born into a large family in southern Brazil and began her religious journey as a teenager.
She spent a couple of years in Montevideo, Uruguay, before relocating to Rio de Janeiro and eventually returning closer to her origins in southern Brazil.
The nun received honors from Pope Francis on her 110th birthday and is now recognized as the second oldest nun ever recorded, following Lucile Randon, who reached the age of 118.
She is an enthusiastic football supporter, and her local team, Inter, celebrates her birthday annually with cake and balloons in the team’s signature red and white colors.
Ms. Canabarro became the oldest living person after the passing of Tomiko Itooka in a care facility in Ashiya, central Japan.
