Football-loving Brazilian nun becomes world’s oldest living person

ADVERTISEMENT

A Brazilian nun, known for her love of football and her warm personality, has been confirmed as the world’s oldest living person at nearly 117 years old.

Sister Inah Canabarro grew up so frail that many doubted she would survive childhood, according to her 84-year-old nephew, Cleber Canabarro. However, against all odds, she has lived to see more than a century of life – and is now the oldest person in the world, as reported by LongeviQuest, an organisation that tracks supercentenarians worldwide.

But, how old is she, exactly? Well, Canabarro may actually be even older than first thought: LongeviQuest researchers said she was born on 8 June 1908, but her nephew claims her birth was registered two weeks late and she was actually born on May 27.

The wheelchair-bound nun, residing in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, was filmed by LongeviQuest last February, smiling and joking as she shared stories of her past, including her miniature wildflower paintings and her love for the Hail Mary prayer.

Asked about the secret to her incredible longevity, Sister Inah credited her Catholic faith – and showed she still has a killer sense of humour.

“I’m young, pretty and friendly – all very good, positive qualities that you have too,” she said, as reported by The Associated Press.

Her nephew, who visits her every Saturday, described how she lights up when she hears his voice. “The other sisters say she gets a jolt when she hears my voice,” Cleber Canabarro said. “She gets excited.”

The great-granddaughter of a renowned Brazilian general who fought during the turbulent period that followed Brazil’s independence from Portugal in the 19th century, Canabarro was born into a large family in southern Brazil and spent much of her life dedicated to education and religious service. 

After two years in Montevideo, Uruguay, she moved to Rio de Janeiro and eventually settled in Rio Grande do Sul. There, she taught for decades and even founded two marching bands in schools along the Brazil-Uruguay border. Among her former students was Gen. Joao Figueiredo, the last of the military dictators who governed Brazil between 1964 and 1985.

She was honoured by Pope Francis on her 110th birthday and remains a beloved figure in her community. Her local soccer club, Inter, celebrates her birthday each year, with her room decorated in the team’s red and white colours. “White or black, rich or poor, whoever you are, Inter is the team of the people,” Canabarro proudly declared in a video shared on social media.

Canabarro takes on the mantle of the world’s oldest living person following the death of Japan’s Tomiko Itooka on December 29.

With the passing of Lucile Randon, who held the title of the world’s oldest person until her death in 2023, Canabarro now ranks as the 20th oldest documented person in history, a list topped by Jeanne Calment of France, who lived to 122.