World’s Oldest Person, brazilian Nun Hermana Inah Canabarro, dies at ⁣117

SAO PAULO, Brazil – Hermana⁣ Inah Canabarro, a Brazilian woman recognized as the world’s oldest‍ person, died Wednesday at ​the age of 117, according‌ to⁢ her religious ⁢order.

The company of Santa teresa‍ de⁤ Jesús, a congregation ⁤of Teresian nuns, announced that Canabarro passed away‍ from natural causes at her residence. A funeral ​service is scheduled for Thursday‌ in Porto Alegre,​ the capital of the state of Rio Grande ⁣do Sul.

Longevity ⁢Confirmed, Succession Announced

Longeviquest, an association that tracks supercentenarians globally, verified Canabarro as the⁢ world’s oldest person in January. Born in 1908, she had recently celebrated ⁣her 117th⁤ birthday on May ⁤27. Following ⁣Canabarro’s death,⁣ Longeviquest reports that Ethel⁣ Caterham, a 115-year-old British woman, now‍ holds the title of​ world’s oldest living person.

Faith and a Jovial Spirit

In a video recorded by‍ Longeviquest in February 2024, Canabarro ⁣attributed her long life to her Catholic faith. The⁤ video ‍shows a smiling Canabarro⁣ joking, ⁢sharing miniature paintings⁢ of⁣ wildflowers, ⁢and reciting⁤ the Ave Maria prayer.

Addressing​ visitors at her retirement home ⁢in Porto Alegre, Canabarro said, “I am young, gorgeous, and friendly, ‍all ⁤very good and positive⁤ qualities ⁤that you also ⁤have.”

Early ‍Life ⁤and Family History

cleber Canabarro, her 84-year-old nephew,⁢ told The Associated Press in January that ‍Inah Canabarro was so frail⁤ as a child ⁤that many doubted she ⁢would survive to‍ adulthood.

Her great-grandfather was a prominent Brazilian general who​ participated in the conflicts following ⁤Brazil’s ⁢independence from Portugal ⁣in the 19th century.

A Life ⁢of Religious Devotion

Sister Inah Canabarro dedicated her life to religious service as a teenager. She⁤ spent two years ⁣in Montevideo, ⁤Uruguay, before relocating to Rio de Janeiro. She also ‍supported two marching bands⁢ in sister⁣ city schools on ‌both sides of‌ the ⁢Uruguay-Brazil border.

Honored ‍by‍ the Pope

On her 110th birthday, Pope Francis honored canabarro. She was the second-oldest ⁢nun ever documented, after Lucile ‌Randon, who was the world’s oldest person until her ‌death‌ in 2023 ​at the age of 118.

Canabarro became the oldest living person after the death‍ of Tomiko Itaka of Japan in​ December, ⁢according ​to Longeviquest. She ranked​ as‌ the twentieth​ documented person​ to have ever‌ lived, a list ⁤topped by Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died in ​1997 at the⁣ age of 122, according ‍to‍ Longeviquest.

In⁤ a statement, Longeviquest said, “Her long and notable⁣ life touched many, and her ⁤legacy as ⁤a devout ​educator, religious sister, and supercentenarian will be remembered with ⁢great admiration.”