We find the wisdom Kevin DeYoung dispenses to be worthwhile here:
The Church: ‘The Catholic Church also has seven sacraments instead of two–Eucharist (or Lord’s Supper) and baptism like Protestants, and then penance, holy orders, marriage, confirmation, and last rites….’
Scripture: ‘But Catholic theology goes beyond just respecting the past; it sacralizes it. “Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence,” the Catechism states….’
Lord’s Supper: ‘Central to the Catholic faith is the Mass (their worship service), and central to the Mass is the celebration of the Eucharist. Catholics believe that bread and wine are transubstantiated into the actual, physical body and blood of Jesus Christ….’
Baptism: ‘Catholics teach that “justification is conferred in Baptism” ….’
Mary: ‘Mary is not only the Mother of Christ, but the Mother of the church….’
Purgatory: ‘Those who die in God’s grace, but still imperfectly purified, are assured of eternal life, but must first undergo purification in purgatory. Because of the presence of this intermediate state, the Catholic Church has developed the practice of prayer for the dead….’
Merit: ‘It is not really fair to say “Catholics teach that you can earn your salvation.” That may be what many Catholics believe, but the official teaching of Rome is more nuanced, though still a long way off from the Reformation understanding sola gratia….’
Justification: ‘Catholic teaching rejects the Protestant doctrine of imputed righteousness. The question is this: is the righteousness whereby we are forgiven and made right with God a righteousness working in us or a righteousness reckoned to our account? Catholics say the former, Protestants the latter….’
Conclusion: ‘Should Catholics and Protestants treat each other decently and with respect? Of course…. But are the disagreements between Protestants and Catholics, therefore, negligible? Hardly. The differences still exist, and they still matter….’
(Resources in Vietnamese and English at GSiV:
Earning vs effort: grace, justification, and sanctification,
QUYỀN NĂNG CAO CẢ CỦA ĐỨC CHÚA TRỜI Ở VIỆT NAM (Ê-phê 1:4-5) 