World’s oldest person, Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro, dies at 116

Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest living person, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 116 years and 326 days.

According to LongeviQuest, a global database that tracks the ages of supercentenarians, Canabarro was born on June 8, 1908, though she believed her birthday was May 27 of the same year. The organization noted that due to her frail health as a child, many doubted she would survive infancy.

Canabarro had long credited her remarkable longevity to her deep faith. “God is the one who helped me live all these years,” she once said. “He is the secret to life, the secret to everything.”

She joined religious life in 1934 and spent much of her career as a teacher in Brazil, where she was known for her humble and service-oriented lifestyle.

With her passing, British woman Ethel Caterham, aged 115 years and 252 days, is now considered the oldest living person in the world, according to LongeviQuest.

In Brazil, the title of the country’s oldest person now goes to Isabel Rosa Pereira, who is 114 years old.