Brazil nun named Inah Canabarro Lucas has become the world’s oldest person, as coined by the Guinness World Records, after the death of the previous title holder, Japan's Tomiko Itooka, in December. Lucas received this title for her age of 116 years 210 days. Lucas is not only the oldest person alive in this world but also the oldest nun and woman.
She was born in 1908 and celebrated her 110th birthday in 2018 with the blessings of Pope Francis.
Who is Inah Canabarro Lucas?
Inah Canabarro Lucas took birth in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil to parents named Joao Antonio and Mariana Canabarro. Many doubted she would survive into adulthood after taking note of her poor physique and skinny appearance. While people looked at Lucas as a child and wondered whether would survive for more years, little did they know that she would hit 100 and go much beyond.
It was when she was a teenager that she chose to spend the rest of her life on a spiritual journey.
After studying at the Santa Teresa de Jesus boarding school in Santana do Livramento and serving as a teacher of Portuguese and mathematics at a school in Rio de Janeiro, Lucas took the vows to become a nun.
Guinness World Records reported that the Brazil nun was one of three surviving people from the 1900s and the only one as old as 1908.
Tomiko Itooka's death
Before Inah Canabarro Lucas was awarded the title of the world’s oldest person, a woman named Tomiko Itooka from Japan, aged 116 years and 220 days (till December), carried the title.
Itooka who was born in May 1908 passed away in December 2024, giving away to the June-born nun to become the oldest person alive.
