Inah Lucas, a Brazilian nun who held the title of the world’s oldest living person earlier this year, has died at the age of 116—just months after being recognized for her extraordinary longevity.
Her death was confirmed on Wednesday by longevity researchers and her religious order, the Congregation of Teresian Sisters, based in Porto Alegre, where she spent her final years. In their message, the order honored her memory and expressed thanks for her “dedication and devotion” throughout decades of religious service.
Lucas was born on June 8, 1908, and stepped into the global spotlight in January 2025 when she was officially named the oldest person alive, following the death of Japan’s Tomiko Itooka, who was also 116.
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In 1934, at 26 years old, Lucas took her religious vows and joined the convent, during the period between the two World Wars. Her life of faith and service, combined with her age, drew admiration from both religious communities and longevity experts.
LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks supercentenarians, noted that Lucas had a difficult start to life. “Many doubted she would survive,” they shared, referencing her fragile health as a child.
Despite those early challenges, Lucas lived well into her second century, often attributing her long life to her deep religious beliefs. “He is the secret of life. He is the secret of everything,” she once said, referring to her faith in God.
In 2018, Pope Francis honored her with a papal blessing on her 110th birthday. The pontiff passed away last week at the age of 88.
Although Lucas had long celebrated her birthday on May 27, longevity researchers later verified her official date of birth as June 8, 1908. “Her documented birth date according to records is June 8, 1908,” confirmed Robert Young, director of the Gerontological Research Group (GRG), earlier this year.
According to LongeviQuest, Lucas ranks as the 15th-oldest verified person in recorded history and the second-oldest nun ever documented—behind France’s Lucile Randon, who reached 118 years before passing in 2023.
With her death, the title of the world’s oldest living person now belongs to Ethel Caterham, a 115-year-old woman from Surrey, England, according to GRG and LongeviQuest records.
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