Just days after the passing of the previous oldest known person, a nonprofit organization that tracks the world’s oldest individuals has introduced a new titleholder.

At 116 years old, Inah Canabarro Lucas has officially become the oldest living person in the world, as confirmed by LongeviQuest. She hails from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and is also recognized as the 20th oldest person in history.

This announcement follows the death of 116-year-old Tomiko Itooka from Japan on December 29, who passed away of natural causes. After her passing, the title of Japan’s oldest living person was passed to 115-year-old Okagi Hayashi from Gifu Prefecture.

A legacy of honors and acknowledgments

In 2018, Lucas marked her 110th birthday by receiving an apostolic blessing from Pope Francis along with a certificate, as reported by LongeviQuest.

Throughout her life, she has garnered multiple recognitions for her age, including:

• Jan. 2, 2022 – Acknowledged as the oldest ecclesiastical person in Brazil.
• Jan. 23, 2022 – Recognized as the oldest living person documented in Brazil.
• July 30, 2022 – Declared the oldest validated living person in South and Latin America.
• Feb. 16, 2024 – Named Brazil’s oldest living person.
• Feb. 22, 2024 – Recognized as the oldest living individual in the Americas and the third oldest in the world.
• Aug. 19, 2024 – Acknowledged as the second oldest living person globally.
• Dec. 29, 2024 – Became the oldest living person in the world.

Additionally, Lucas is recognized as the second oldest nun documented in history, following Sister André or Lucile Randon from France, who passed away in January 2023 at the age of 118 years and 340 days.

LongeviQuest notes that Lucas is the last known surviving person born in 1908.

Her journey of faith commenced at age 16

Born on June 8, 1908, in São Francisco de Assis, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, her birth was initially reported as May 27, 1908, according to LongeviQuest, but subsequent research suggests she was born 11 days later.

In her early years, Lucas faced many challenges due to her frail condition, leading many to believe she wouldn’t survive into adulthood, as detailed by LongeviQuest.

As the great-granddaughter of General David Canabarro, a leader in the Ragamuffin War, she began her religious studies at the Santa Teresa de Jesus boarding school in Santana do Livramento, Rio Grande do Sul, when she was just 16 years old.

At 17, she was baptized in Santana do Livramento. She later relocated to Montevideo, Uruguay, to be confirmed in the Catholic Church on October 1, 1929, at the age of 21. The following year, she returned to Brazil and taught Portuguese and mathematics at a school in Tijuca, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, as reported by LongeviQuest.

Lucas renewed her vows for the first time three years later in Rio de Janeiro, followed by another renewal in 1933.

In July 1934, at the age of 26, she officially became a nun after taking her perpetual vows, according to LongeviQuest. Throughout her life, she served as a teacher, professor, and secretary until her retirement in 1995.

Apart from her religious commitments, Lucas is also passionate about soccer and is described as “a dedicated supporter of Sport Club Internacional” by LongeviQuest.

“Whether rich or poor, it doesn’t make a difference – it’s for the people,” she expressed in a statement on LongeviQuest’s website.

Regarding her long life, Lucas attributes it entirely to faith, saying, “He is the secret of life. He is the secret of everything.”