A group of Catholics has been formed to promote the idea that divorce is a civil right and voting yes is not a sin.

The group is called Kattoliċi: Iva Għax Dritt (Catholics: Yes because it’s a right).

“Our group is made of practising Catholics. Some agree with divorce, others don’t. But we all agree it is a civil right,” said spokesman Carmel Hili.

The group, he said, felt the pro and anti divorce movements have left a vacuum because they failed to reach out to those Catholics who agreed with divorce.

The group sees a clear distinction between Church and civil unions and believes it is the duty of Catholics to ensure the state does not impose a particular morality on all of society.

The values of love and mutual respect taught Catholics to promote the rights of others even if they disagreed with them, he said.

The group wants to transmit the message to Catholics that the decision they have to make in the divorce referendum is not “that catastrophic”.

Mr Hili said he heard of “scaremongering” among religious groups whose members were told that voting for divorce was a mortal sin. His movement believed the only sin was cohabitation. The group will be officially launched tomorrow and will be the fifth lobby group to be set up ahead of the May 28 referendum. It will be the third group to speak in favour of divorce together with Yes for Divorce and StandUp. The two anti-divorce movements are Marriage Without Divorce and Kristu Iva, Divorzju Le (Yes to Christ, No to Divorce).