Skanderbeg, one of the sons of Symeon's main sponsor, George Amiroutzes, had converted to Islam and was at the time the treasurer of the Sultan.

To avoid this, Nephon II pretended that a nephew of the deceased patriarch was the legitimate heir, finding three monks that bore false witness.

So great was the reputation of Nephon II that the Wallachian ruler Radu IV bowed down when he went to visit the jailed patriarch.

[8] The conflict arose because of the intransigence of the patriarch in refusing to celebrate the marriage of Radu's older sister Calpea with the Moldovan boyar Bogdan Logothete, who had already been married.

In order to avoid the outcry of the people, Radu tried to placate the old man with flattering words, promises and gifts and begged him to forgive his brother-in-law, but Nephon II remained adamant and left for Macedonia, taking with him two of his students.

On his return to Mount Athos, he appeared unrecognisable to the monks of the Monastery of Dionysiou, who initially thought him a simple herdsman.