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.”