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Lover of football A nun from Brazil is believed to have become the world’s oldest person at the age of almost 117, crediting her strong Catholic faith for her longevity.
LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks supercentenarians around the world, released a statement on Saturday announcing Sister Ina Canabara as the world’s oldest person, confirmed by early life records.
The nun, who is now confined to a wheelchair, has been recognized as the world’s oldest living person after Tomiko Itooka died in Japan at the age of 116 on December 26, 2024.
Her nephew spends time with her every Saturday and sends her voice messages between visits to keep her spirits up after the elderly woman was hospitalized twice.
“The other sisters say she trembles when she hears my voice,” he said. “She gets excited.”
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Sister Ina Canabara folds her hands in prayer in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on February 16, 2024. (Carlos Macedo/LongeviQuest, via AP)
Kanabara was born on June 8, 1908 in a large family in southern Brazilaccording to LongeviQuest researchers. But her nephew said her birth was registered two weeks late and that she was actually born on May 27, 1908.
When she was a teenager, she turned to religious work and spent two years there in Montevideo, Uruguaybefore moving to Rio de Janeiro and eventually settling in his home state of Rio Grande do Sul.
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Pope Francis honored her for her 110th birthday. She is the second oldest nun ever documented after Lucille Rendon, who was the oldest person in the world until her death in 2023 at the age of 118.
Pope Francis prays the rosary during the closing Mass of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on October 29, 2023. (Ricardo De Luca/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Along with her commitment to her lifelong faith she is loyal to the local football club “Inter”. The club, which was founded after Canabar was born, celebrates her birthday every year as the oldest fan.
Her room is decorated with gifts in the team’s red and white colors, her nephew said.
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“White or black, rich or poor, whoever you are, Inter is the people’s team,” she said in video posted on social media celebrates his 116th birthday with the club president.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
