Protestant vs Catholicism

Why Evangelical became Catholic (WHI) 

One reason was the universal uniqueness of the Catholic liturgy.  You can go to a church in Egypt and go to a church in Nebraska and the liturgy is basically the same.  There is a formality and safety in uniformity.  There are so many Protestant churches with so many different styles of worship.  It seems that Protestants are schizophrenic. 

Justification by Faith alone

Roman Catholicism believes that at Baptism we ourselves become righteous, as a gift of grace, and that we are justified before God on account of our own righteousness. Because our justification rests at least in part on us, it is therefore not secure nor complete, and thus likely dependent on future works to maintain.

Catholics believe that the sacrament of baptism removes original sin and returns one to a state of innocence, enabling them to perform works of congruous merit.

In relation to the topic of Justification, much of the Catholic understanding was developed and outlined in the official Council of Trent, which served as an authoritative council. 

The big idea for Protestants is that all of our salvation is entirely dependent on Christ and Christ alone. Solely by Jesus righteousness imputed to the sinner.

“Infusion” as Catholics believe, means that through Baptism (more on Baptism later), righteousness is not imputed to us, but rather it is infused in us, and we actually become righteous ourselves. It is on that ground, of our own righteousness (what they refer to as the meritorious cause), that we are then justified by God.

 “meritorious cause”—the efficient reason why God justifies us

Catholics believe that God “infuses” righteousness into us at Baptism, and that as a result God then justifies us as a result of our righteousness. 

The Roman Catholic view is that our Baptism is the point at which grace is “infused” into us, and therefore the point at which we personally become righteous, a righteousness that becomes the “meritorious cause” of our justification. But what happens when throughout a person’s life they prove themselves to be still a sinner, as certainly all are destined to do? Can this “infusion” diminish over time due to our sin? According to Catholic doctrine, yes! A person can fall into patterns of sin that diminish his infused grace. In fact, some sins are so bad that they can cause a person who was once justified, to lose their justification. These sins are called ‘mortal sins.’ The term ‘mortal sin’ is how Catholics refer to sins that are so bad that they may cause a person to lose their state of justification, and therefore lose their salvation.

In cases of Mortal Sin, a person is able to restore themselves through participation in another sacrament, penance.

"[S]o, whoever desires to recover the grace of baptism, forfeited by mortal sins, must have recourse to another means of expiation, namely the sacrament of penance." (Catechism of the Council of Trent. Chapter XI. Question IX).

Yes, the Catholic Church teaches that God desires all people to be saved and to come to know the truth about Christ Jesus. This is stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which says that God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth". The Catholic Church also teaches that salvation is possible for those who do not explicitly believe in Christ. 

The Catholic Church also prays that no one should be lost. Some say that Christians can express love and mercy by desiring and praying for everyone to be saved, even though they know that not everyone will be saved. 

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
SECOND EDITION

851 Missionary motivation. It is from God's love for all men that the Church in every age receives both the obligation and the vigor of her missionary dynamism, "for the love of Christ urges us on."³⁴³ Indeed, God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth";³⁴⁴ that is, God wills the salvation of everyone through the knowledge of the truth. Salvation is found in the truth. Those who obey the prompting of the Spirit of truth are already on the way of salvation. But the Church, to whom this truth has been entrusted, must go out to meet their desire, so as to bring them the truth. Because she believes in God's universal plan of salvation, the Church must be missionary.

They believe that those who die with unconfessed sin will go through a fiery trial after death (like Purgatory).

In Catholic theology, invincible ignorance is a state of being where someone is unable to rid themselves of ignorance, even with moral diligence. It's a valid excuse that excludes sin and holds that people are judged based on what they knew or should have known. 

Some examples of invincible ignorance include: Ignorance of the law, Ignorance of a fact, Ignorance of Christ's message, and Intentional ignorance. quoting the Second Vatican Council (Lumen Gentium 16) that “those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience—those too may achieve eternal salvation” (847). This ignorance—“through no fault of their own”—is what the Catechism means by invincible ignorance.

Perfect Contrition

In the Catholic Church, perfect contrition is a way to repent for sins without confessing to a priest. It involves: 

• Repenting for sins: Detesting past sins, grieving over them, and resolving not to commit them again 
• Loving God: Repenting because of a love for God and a desire to avoid offending him 
• Intending to confess: Making a firm commitment to confess as soon as possible 

Perfect contrition can remove the guilt and eternal punishment for mortal sins, even before confession. It can be especially important in situations where confession is not possible, such as in the case of imminent death. 

Here are some steps for making an act of perfect contrition:

• Ask for perfect contrition: Ask God for perfect contrition for all sins
Kneel: Kneel at the foot of a crucifix and remember how Jesus suffered for you
Repent: Repent for sins and promise to not sin again with God's help
Recite: Recite an act of contrition that focuses on God's goodness and love for Jesus 

There is no set formula for making an act of contrition, but a common one includes: "My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart". 

Catholic teaching defines perfect contrition in the Council of Trent, Session XIV, ch. iv de Contritione.