CNN —
French nun Sister André, the world’s oldest known person, died on Tuesday at the age of 118 in the South American city of Toulon.
The city’s mayor, Hubert Falco, announced the news of her death on Twitter, writing: “It is with great sadness and emotion that I learned tonight of the death of the oldest person in the world, #SisterAndré.”
The nun’s spokesman, David Tavella, said she died at 2am local time on Tuesday and was living near Toulon. “There is great sadness but she wanted it to happen, it was her wish to join her beloved brother. For them, it’s freedom,” said Tavella.
Sister André, who was born Lucile Randon on February 11, 1904, dedicated most of her life to worship, according to a statement released by Guinness in April 2022.
Before becoming a Catholic nun, she cared for children during World War II and then cared for orphans and the elderly in a hospital for 28 years.
According to Guinness, she was also the oldest nun to have ever lived.
When she turned 118 in 2022, the nun received a handwritten birthday note from French President Emmanuel Macron – the 18th French President of her life. Since her birth, 10 different popes have presided over the Catholic Church.
She became the world’s oldest after the death of Kane Tanaka, a Japanese woman previously certified as the world’s oldest person, who died on April 19 at the age of 119.
The title of the oldest person ever recorded also belongs to a French woman. The life of Jeanne Louise Calment, born February 21, 1875, spanned 122 years and 164 days according to Guinness World Records.