Famed for understatement, the English are apt to describe a painful illness as “a bit of a nuisance” or a horrendous accident as “well, not exactly what I would have chosen.”

Official statements from conservative evangelicals and traditional Catholics following rejection of the archbishops’ attempt to broker a plan for “coordinate jurisdiction” have a similarly restrained, even understated tone.

Spokesmen for the evangelical Anglican Mainstream conceded that there will be women bishops in the Church of England, adding that the debate was “not about gender equality … but about the liberty to hold within the Church of England two views about leadership.”

The Catholic Group in General Synod said it “deeply” regretted the outcome and noted an overall majority in synod supported the archbishops, all of which “made it very difficult” for people who cannot accept women bishops. Even so, Catholic Group members said the synod was not over and that they “wish to be involved in ongoing discussions.”

Traditional Catholics are in a hard place. Passing the first clause of the proposed legislation has effectively swept away provincial episcopal visitors (popularly called flying bishops) who serve parishes that cannot accept the ministry of women.

During debate several speakers were at pains to point out the divide went deeper than just “gender.” For traditional Catholics women cannot be bishops. To survive, even flourish, in the Church of England, traditional Catholics need “sacramental assurance” — a term that only recently came to the fore in public debate.

It was not, however, just a matter of being unable to recognize women bishops as true bishops. They would not be able to recognize male priests ordained by a woman bishop.

Emma Forward, a 26-year-old lay woman, plaintively asked how reliable sacramental assurance could be in absence of the kind of two-tiered system that traditional Catholics want: “What assurance will I have in 10 years time … or 30, without these arrangements?”

What is at stake here is a different view of episcopate than many other parts of the Church of England recognize. The 39 Articles state, for example, that sacraments are not nullified by the unworthiness of the celebrant (article 26). Moreover, ecumenical dialogue has emphasized “continuity in truth” rather than purely “tactile” succession.

While synod heard several speakers allude to sacramental security, no conservative evangelical ventured to argue against women bishops on grounds of “headship,” traditionally their main sticking point.

One reason is that for most conservative evangelicals the issue is not women bishops per se but wider questions about what they believe to be a “disobedient church” where some senior leaders are “false teachers.”

So while there would be a wholesale defection of traditional Catholics from the Church of England over women bishops, many conservative evangelicals will find ways to live with it. For many of them appointment of an openly gay bishop or formal agreement to bless same-sex unions is the point of departure.

Sunday’s agenda included receiving a report, Our Fellowship in the Gospel, the work of a joint study group with the Church of Scotland. While there was little to criticize, one member wanted to know why full unity had not been achieved “hundreds of years ago.” While theological study was admirable, there was a treasure trove of highly creative local mission on both sides of the border where much mutual learning was possible.

Members were inspired by worship in magnificent York Minster and an inspirational sermon on the parable of the neighborly Samaritan from the Archbishop of York (the gospel story does not label him good).

“Experience tells us that every kind of love has its own energy, and in the heart of the lover, love can’t remain idle; it leads somewhere,” Archbishop John Sentamu preached. “If you want to discern the character of a person’s love, notice where it leads. If our love is not purified by Christ — who ‘baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire’ — our so-called love turns towards the pursuit of earthly things which are desirable, but doomed to perish, because they are not eternal.”

John Martin, in York