This is collective worship (and is other than special individual fasts)

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III



Fasting of the whole nations




This is collective worship (and is other than special individual fasts).
For in doing this, the people's hearts meet together in self-abasement before God.
As Christians pray together with one soul and spirit offering their prayer to God "with one accord" (Acts 4:24), and also offer well as their private prayers, so it is with fasting:
There are many examples in the Holy Bible of collective fasts in which all the faithful participated, together and with one spirit, presenting a unified fast to God, the same fast for the whole church.