Anba Barnaba, Bishop of Turin and Rome of the Coptic Orthodox Church, participated in the memorial held by Matteo Zuppi Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bologna for the martyrs of St. Samuel the Confessor Monastery at Mount Qalamoun in Minya.
The memorial was attended by the Mayor of Bologna, Virginio Merola, as well as Rector of the University of Bologna, Dr. Francesco Ubertini, and a large number of Copts filled the Cathedral of San Petronio in central Bologna.
Speaking on this occasion, Anba Barnabas spoke about the greatness of the Coptic martyrs, who preferred to sacrifice their lives instead of denying their faith, as well as their families who declared their forgiveness and for those who killed their loved ones.