Sister André is also the oldest living nun in the world and the oldest nun ever, according to a statement released by the Records Authority on Monday.
Sister André, who was born Lucile Randon on February 11, 1904, has devoted most of her life to worship, the statement said. 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.
Sister André, who lives near the French city of Toulon, is also the world’s oldest Covid-19 survivor. According to the Guinness World Records statement, she tested positive for the virus in early 2021 but made a full recovery within three weeks, just in time for her 117th birthday.
In an interview with French TV channel RMC Story on Tuesday, Sister André appeared to have mixed feelings about becoming the new oldest person alive.
“I have a feeling that I would be better off in heaven, but God doesn’t want me yet,” she said, calling the title a “sad honor.”
However, she also expressed her joy at being “spoiled” by her family.
Sister André enjoys chocolate and wine — and has a glass every day — at her care home, Résidence Catherine Labouré, CNN confirmed on Tuesday.
When she turned 118 earlier this year, the elderly nun received a handwritten birthday note from French President Emmanuel Macron – the 18th French president of her life, according to a tweet from the nursing home. Since her birth, 10 different popes have presided over the Catholic Church.
Sister André 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.