A nun from Brazil, who loves football, is believed to be the oldest person in the world, nearing 117 years old and attributing her longevity to her unwavering Catholic faith.
LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks supercentenarians worldwide, issued a statement on Saturday, declaring Sister Inah Canabarro as the world’s oldest person, verified through early life records.
The nun, who now uses a wheelchair, was crowned the world’s oldest person after Tomiko Itooka passed away in Japan at the age of 116 on December 26, 2024.
Her grandnephew visits her every Saturday and sends her voice messages between visits to keep her motivated after two hospitalizations.
“The other sisters say she feels immense joy when she hears my voice,” he said. “It makes her very happy.”
Canabarro was born on June 8, 1908, into a large family in southern Brazil, according to LongeviQuest researchers.
However, her grandnephew noted that her birth was officially registered two weeks late and that she was actually born on May 27, 1908.
As a teenager, she devoted herself to religious work, spending two years in Montevideo, Uruguay, before moving to Rio de Janeiro and eventually settling in her home state of Rio Grande do Sul.
For her 110th birthday, she was honored by Pope Francis. She is the second oldest documented nun, after Lucile Randon, who was the world’s oldest person until her death in 2023 at the age of 118.
In addition to her lifelong devotion to her faith, she is a passionate fan of the local football club Inter.
The club, founded after Canabarro’s birth, celebrates her birthday every year as its oldest supporter.
Her room is decorated with gifts in the team’s red and white colors, her grandnephew said.
“White or black, rich or poor, whoever you are, Inter is the people’s team,” she said in a video posted on social media celebrating her 116th birthday with the club president.
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