 Suárez was a confirmed papalist, who regarded the Holy See as necessary to the Church’s unity. Canon law existed as a distinct aspect of human law, supporting humanity’s higher ends and unifying all peoples. The pope was divinely guided in pronouncements on doctrine, and he had a universal responsibility to spread the gospel. Suárez, however, refused to accept evangelization as an excuse for war. Not even unnatural acts justified the use of violence. Consequently, Suárez, like Vitoria and Soto, upheld the legitimacy of non-Christian regimes operating within the bounds of natural law.