CNN
–
French nun Sister AndreThe oldest known person in the world died on Tuesday at the age of 118 in the southern city of Toulon.
The city’s mayor, Hubert Falco, announced the news of her death on Twitter, writing that “It is with great sadness and emotion that I learned tonight of the death of the world’s oldest person #SisterAndre.”
The nun’s spokesperson, David Tavella, said she died Tuesday at 2 a.m. local time and lives near Toulon. “There is great sadness, but she wanted it to happen, it was her desire to join her beloved brother. For her, it is freedom,” said Tavela.
Sister Andre was born Lucille Randon on February 11, 1904, and has dedicated most of her life to religious service, according to an April 2022 statement from Guinness.
Before becoming a Catholic nun, she took care of children during World War II, then spent 28 years caring for orphans and elderly people in a hospital.
She was also the oldest nun ever to live, according to Guinness.
when she turned 118 in 2022, the nun received a handwritten birthday note from French President Emmanuel Macron – the 18th French president in her lifetime. There have also been 10 different popes presiding over the Catholic Church since its birth.
She became the world’s oldest person after the death of Ken Tanaka, a Japanese woman who was previously certified as the world’s oldest person, who died at the age of 119 on April 19.
The title of the oldest person ever recorded also belongs to a Frenchwoman. Born on February 21, 1875, Jeanne Louise Calment took 122 years and 164 days to complete, according to a Guinness World Records statement.
