I would really like a Catholic perspective on revenge. Is Josey Wales committing mortal sin by avenging his murdered family?
As far as I can understand, yes.
If your children are abused or killed and the state doesn't apply any form of justice against the perpetrator, what can a Catholic do without risking his soul?
In Catholic moral theology there are many ways to become an accomplice to the sins/crimes of others, including failing to punish crimes/sins.

It is justice, not revenge, to punish such crimes/sins.
It is even just and potentially a "virtuous temper of soul," to hate the perpetrators providing it is the "reprobation of what is actually evil" and focused upon the evil attributes, not merely upon the person.


Of course that is the bare bones of the moral theology. There are other nuances affecting the legitimacy of the emotions and actions.
As far as the movie goes, the mere fact that Josey didn't kill Fletcher in their final encounter is fair evidence that in the end justice prevailed. Much of the other killing in the movie was legitimate self-defense.
Genuine Catholicism is not as faggy "judge not" as Lucifer's agents in and out of the Church would have Catholics believe.
