A Brazilian nun who was the world’s oldest person at 116 has died. Sister Inah Canabarro passed away on Wednesday due to natural causes, just weeks shy of her 117th birthday. She had held the title since December when Japan’s Tomiko Itooka passed away.
Born in Brazil, Canabarro credited her Catholic faith for her long life. Her legacy as an educator and devoted nun will be remembered with great admiration. The wake is scheduled to take place on Thursday in Porto Alegre, her home city.
Canabarro’s remarkable story includes being a student at a prestigious school run by the Teresian Order, where she was taught by renowned educators. As a teenager, she moved to Uruguay and eventually settled in Rio Grande do Sul before pursuing a career as a teacher. Her great-grandfather was a notable Brazilian general who fought for Brazil’s independence.
At 110 years old, Canabarro was honored by Pope Francis and became the second-oldest nun ever documented after Lucile Randon’s death in 2023 at age 118. She ranked among the top 20 oldest people to have lived, with Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment holding the record at 122 years old when she passed away in 1997.
Canabarro was known for her kindness, humor, and artistic talents, as seen in a video recorded by LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks supercentenarians. Her passing marks the end of an era, but her legacy will be cherished by those who knew her.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/brazilian-nun-worlds-oldest-person-died-116-121358524