THE world’s oldest person, Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, died on 30 April at the age of 116, having barely survived infancy and attributing her long life to God, her order and two longevity trackers said.
The title now passes to Ms Ethel Caterham, a resident of Surrey, England, who is 115 years old, according to the US Gerontological Research Group (GRG) and the LongeviQuest database.
Born on 8 June 1908, Ms Canabarro became the world’s oldest person following the death in January of Japanese woman Tomiko Itooka, who was also aged 116. The Congregation of Teresian Sisters of Brazil announced Ms Canabarro’s passing on 30 April in a statement in which it gave thanks “for the dedication and devotion” she had shown in life.
LongeviQuest, in an obituary, said Ms Canabarro had been a frail child, and “many doubted she would survive”.
She became a nun in 1934 at the age of 26, between World Wars I and II.
Ms Canabarro had attributed her longevity to God, saying: “He is the secret of life. He is the secret of everything,” according to LongeviQuest.
For her 110th birthday, she received a blessing from Pope Francis, who himself died on 21 April at age 88. — AFP
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