A nun from Brazil, Sister Inah Canabarro, is believed to be the world’s oldest living person at nearly 117, following the death of Japan’s Tomiko Itooka.
Sister Canabarro’s early life was marked by poor health, and many doubted she would survive childhood, as her nephew Cleber Canabarro, 84, shared with The Associated Press.
A global organization tracking supercentenarians, LongeviQuest, recently confirmed Canabarro as the world’s oldest living person, based on early life records.
A video taken by the organization in February showed the wheelchair-bound nun smiling, telling jokes, and sharing miniature paintings she had made of wildflowers, while reciting the Hail Mary prayer.
When asked about the secret to her longevity, she attributed it to her Catholic faith.
“I’m young, pretty and friendly – all very good, positive qualities that you have too,” Sister Canabarro said to visitors at her retirement home in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Her nephew spends Saturdays with her and sends her voice messages between visits to help keep her spirits up, especially after two hospitalizations that have left her weak and struggling to speak.
“The other sisters say she gets a jolt when she hears my voice,” he said. “She gets excited.”
Born on June 8, 1908, to a large family in southern Brazil, Canabarro’s birth was registered two weeks late, and she was actually born on May 27.
Her great-grandfather was a famous Brazilian general who fought in the turbulent post-independence era.
Canabarro took up religious work as a teenager and spent two years in Montevideo, Uruguay, before moving to Rio de Janeiro and finally settling in her home state of Rio Grande do Sul.
She was a lifelong educator, and among her former students was Gen. João Figueiredo, Brazil’s last military dictator (1964-1985).
Known for her contributions to the community, she founded two marching bands at schools in sister cities on the Brazil-Uruguay border.
For her 110th birthday, she was honoured by Pope Francis. Canabarro is now the second-oldest documented nun, following Lucile Randon, who was the world’s oldest person until her death in 2023 at 118.
Her love for soccer is evident, with her room decorated in the red and white colours of the local soccer club, Inter.
The team, founded after her birth, celebrates her birthday every year. “White or black, rich or poor, whoever you are, Inter is the team of the people,” Canabarro said in a video shared online during her 116th birthday celebration with the club’s president.
With the passing of Japan’s Tomiko Itooka in December, Canabarro is now recognized as the world’s oldest living person by LongeviQuest.
She holds the 20th spot on the list of the oldest documented people ever, a ranking led by Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122 and died in 1997.
