World’s Oldest Person, Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, Dies At 116
The world’s oldest person, Brazilian nun Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, passed away on April 30, 2025, at 116.
She was born on June 8, 1908, in Rio Grande do Sul and became a Catholic nun in her early 20s. Known for her love of football, she supported Sport Club Internacional and celebrated her birthdays with cakes shaped like the team’s stadium.
Blessed by Pope Francis in 2018, Sister Inah believed her faith in God was the secret to her long life. Her family said she wasn’t ill, but passed as her body gradually slowed down.
She died in Porto Alegre, at the home of the Teresian Sisters, the religious group she belonged to.
The title of the world’s oldest living person now goes to 115-year-old Ethel Caterham from England.
Sport Club Internacional posted a message on X (formerly Twitter), saying it was very sad to hear about Sister Inah’s passing. The club praised her life, which was filled with kindness, faith, and love for her favourite football team.
Sister Rita Fernandes Barbosa, who helped run the religious home where Sister Inah lived, said she had been healthy for most of her life. She didn’t need any surgeries until she had cataract surgery at the age of 106.
In her final years, Sister Inah couldn’t hear or see very well, but her family said she still liked to follow a daily routine. She enjoyed getting up, eating, praying, and sleeping at the same times every day.
Another nun, Sister Terezinha Aragon, said Sister Inah never complained and was always thankful and in good spirits.
She said this in January 2025, when Sister Inah became the world’s oldest person after the previous title-holder, Tomiko Itooka from Japan, died at 116.
Sister Inah was born on June 8, 1908, and felt called to religious life from a young age. She joined a religious boarding school when she was just 16.
Before becoming a nun, she lived for a while in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. She returned to Brazil in 1930 and became a teacher, giving Portuguese and maths lessons at a school in Rio.
Sister Rita, who knew her well, said Sister Inah lived so long because she was very disciplined. Said Sister Rita:
Discipline in her work and in her life, she always worked a lot and was always very sociable and welcoming.
More: BBC News
