Rio De Janeiro - A former Brazilian slave believed to be 126 years old was taking things easy yesterday ahead of a meeting with Pope John Paul (77). Ms Maria do Carmo Geronimo was already 49 when the Pope was born. A devout Catholic, she was due to receive communion from him during Mass today.
"As someone who is 126 years old, she requires special medical care," said Dr Carlos Alberto Rodrigues, director of the Beneficiencia Portuguesa hospital, where Ms Geronimo was resting after flying from her home state of Minas Gerais.
As a slave, Ms Geronimo did not have the right to a birth certificate when she was born on March 5th, 1871. But the Brazilian Guinness Book of Records has recognised her baptism certificate as proof she is the country's oldest person.
Meanwhile, in Bonn a newspaper reported that a top German surgeon was holding talks with the Vatican about carrying out a hip operation on the Pope. The Flensburger Tageblatt, a north German daily newspaper, quoted Prof Wolfram Thomas as saying, "I will either operate alone or together with colleagues."